


True Scent

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: (Not a major character), Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Breeding, Centaurs, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Clyde Logan Cameo, Come no further for crack awaits you with big pointy teeth, Doggy Style, Double Penetration, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forest Sex, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Humor, Impact Play, Light Angst, Magic, Minor Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Misunderstandings, Pregnancy, Pumpkin Chunking, References to Monty Python, Rough Sex, Run Away, Sexual Tension, Soulmates, Spanking, Supernatural Elements, This fic has gotten too silly, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves, Wizards, eventual angst, i warned you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:48:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27272953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: The annual pumpkin chucking competition just got a little more exciting when an unknown, ragtag team of a fae, a ghost, a wizard, and a centaur come to challenge the reigning champions, the werewolves. Rey has always wanted to compete, but she didn't plan on one of her teammates suddenly finding her soulmate from among the werewolves they're competing against. Trying to keep their pumpkin chucking trebuchet plans a secret just got that much harder.The only thing that's more frustrating is trying to deny the attraction she feels for the alpha of the pack and leader of the werewolf team, Ben Solo. There's just something about his scent...
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 27
Kudos: 81
Collections: A Fall Reylo Exchange, The Workshop





	1. Hungry Like the Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MyJediLife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyJediLife/gifts).



> I received these prompts:
> 
> 1: Soulmates AU. Ben and Rey are rival "punkin chuckers" (https://www.punkinchunkin.com) I leave the rest in your capable hands.  
> 2: Enemies to lovers with werewolves and fae?  
> 3: Ben hates Halloween. Rey doesn't. Take it from there.  
> 5: First Thanksgiving with a family fluff.
> 
> Since I don't like choosing from among so many good prompts, why not ALL THE THINGS?
> 
> H, I hope you enjoy this.

"Welcome to the initial sign-ups for the trebuchet portion of this year's Punkin Chunkin' Competition. I'm Artoo, here with my co-host for this event, Threepio."

The microphone boomed and filled with static as it switched hands between the cyborgs seated above the five teams in their treehouse booth. The pair had been hosting the Punkin Chunkin' event for over fifty years, and they bickered like an old married couple to prove it. 

"Yes. I am Threepio, Inter-Species Relations. This is our first year allowing teams to be made up of different types of beings, and we're very excited to see them compete against one another."

"The same werewolf team has won the last four years with their ever-evolving designs, so we're all very curious to see if four heads are better than one, or four species in this case," said Artoo, motioning toward one of the new teams. "Let's welcome our teams! Threep, start us off!"

"You know how much I hate it when you call me that," whined Threepio dramatically.

Artoo rolled his eyes and motioned toward the werewolf team. "And in this corner, we have--"

"There are five teams, Artoo, not four. They can't be in corners, silly," interrupted Threepio, elbowing his old friend. "That would imply--"

"And in this corner of the pentagon, we have Team Jacob, as we have affectionately named them--"

"They're not actually werewolves! We're better!" cried Hux, pointing at the announcers.

Far below, at the base of the ancient maple tree, stood the five teams. The one in question had four team members. Three of them wore tight, black clothes with close-cropped hair. The two men of the group both had hairy arms showing under their fitted t-shirts, while the blond woman stood above the pair, all standing straight as though they were in the military. The woman, however, was still shorter than their leader, the one who stuck out with his plaid flannel, longer hair, and facial hair. He slouched and clasped his hands in front of him as he stared at his teammates who were trying to talk to the co-hosts.

"And much smarter and stronger," added Phasma, rolling her eyes. "Mitaka, did you bring that cow like I told you to?"

"Phas, there's no need to show off. We always win. Cool it," said Ben with a bored expression. 

"I  _ might _ listen to you if you were as competitive as the rest of us, but you're not, flannel-wearer," fired back Phasma. "We should assert our dominance."

Ben huffed and went back to sizing up the competition, pulling down at the edges of his flannel shirt. His eyes alighted on one particular woman, and he couldn't stop staring at the tall, wiry fae in a short skirt and white sweater.

"In this vertex, we have The Werewolves of Exegol, along with a miniature of their winning trebuchet design from last year, The Master Chunker," said Threepio after stealing the microphone back. "They have some stiff competition this year from The Crypt Chunker 5, a new vampire group--"

"Team Edward!" cried Artoo, earning a dirty look from Threepio.

The crowd gathered murmured; when they quieted, Threepio went on. "As I was saying before I was so  _ rudely  _ interrupted, the next team is The Purple Punkin Eaters, the rotating pixie group, The Punkinbusters, the sole human group, and finally, our only multi-species team."

Just as he puffed out his chest to speak, Artoo stole back the microphone and zapped his friend, as was tradition to do at least once while talking. "No one on this particular team has competed before with us, so we're ready for a spooktacular time with The Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, with a fae, wizard, ghost, and a centaur comprising the team. Everyone, give yourselves a hand...unless you're a ghost."

"Sorry, Finn, buddy," whispered the wizard. Poe conjured a fake hand and gave it to his friend. "You can just wave it."

"…Thanks." Finn picked up the plastic hand and twirled it in a lackluster circle while everyone else clapped.

The Scary Monsters and Super Creeps were certainly the oddest looking group of the bunch since no one looked like one another. Poe and Rey looked the most human and similar, but Rey was taller and more athletically built, while Poe had a long nose and was shorter. Rey wasn’t used to being outside during the day, just like the werewolves, so she had just as pasty a complexion. Poe and Rose, the centaur, both were tanned well. Rose, however, towered over everyone in the group, with large limbs and a sturdy, wide frame for her four legs and two arms. Finn was all soul, a pale, floating blob that shined occasionally.

"Now that the teams have been introduced, let's welcome our guest judges for this year, Clyde Logan, and his wife, Heathyr."

As the hosts discussed how Clyde came to be the judge, Rey felt uneasy. She glanced at Rose, her friend from the forest, but she was listening raptly to the announcers so as to not miss a rule. Adjusting her wool sweater, Rey searched for the being staring at her. When her hazel eyes met the ones of a werewolf in plaid, she felt a small zing of awareness bolt through her. 

His eyes were a rich brown like hot cocoa, and she suddenly felt very thirsty, throat and mouth parched as she drowned in his intense depths. She drank in his features, how thick and muscled he was, not to mention just big everywhere. Whoever he was, she was going to find out.

Unfortunately, he seemed to snap out of their shared trance, and he bared his canines at her before widening his stance, as though warning her not to approach. She scoffed at his show of strength, used to such dick-measuring moves from fae and werewolves alike. 

"And that's all the rules for this year! We look forward to seeing you again in six weeks for the grand competition, on Halloween! We wish each team the best of luck in creating your trebuchets! May your pumpkins fly higher and farther than the ghosts that haunt these grounds," said Threepio. 

"May the best trebuchet win!" echoed Artoo before turning off the microphone, ensuring he got the final word. 

Below, Rey turned to face her team. "Who wants to scope out the competition a little?"

"I'm in," declared Poe, stepping forward with a lascivious grin. "I see a lovely lady-wolf I haven't met. I intend to charm her."

"She looks like a maneater. Look out, or you'll end up like me, unmated and dead, turning into a ghost," cautioned Finn, looking around. "I've been around a long time, and I hear stories about her."

"So have I, my friend," said Poe, wearing a charming smile as he made his way to the werewolves. 

"I want to see their old design. I bet I can find a flaw with it," said Rose, their mechanics expert. She galloped over as Rey and Finn took up the rear. 

"I calculate Poe will last less than two minutes before he's rebuffed. Wanna bet?" asked Finn, the math guy of the group. 

"No way! I'll lose that one," laughed Rey before her eyes fell on Ben again. She sobered up quickly. "Do you know who the one in plaid is?"

"His name's Ben Solo. He's supposed to be the next leader of his pack, but he's still unmated. He's always been a quiet peacemaker in preparation for being a leader, less dominant than others," explained Finn as he floated along. "He's the brawn of the group since he's the strongest one in the pack. He’s never been beat in a fight."

"He's a werewolf; he's bound to be an alpha and talkative, especially if he's going to be the leader," said Rey, peering at Ben again. "I'm not surprised he's strong. He's built like a brick house."

Ever since she had started walking toward him, Ben had folded his arms and glared at her, acting like the dominant douche she had come to expect from all werewolves. The problem for her was that she had a thing for strong, muscled men. Those were the types that had even a chance of manhandling her the way she preferred. 

"I'm telling you he's -- that's odd," said Finn, finally noticing Ben's stance. "I don't think he likes you."

"Probably because I punched a couple guys from his pack when they crossed into my territory in the forest. I hurt their delicate egos," said Rey with a shrug, not sorry in the least. 

Finn laughed. "They do have a long memory."

"Not as long as mine," she replied, making her way to stand in front of Ben. 

She couldn't really explain it, but she felt an almost magnetic pull toward Ben, as though she had to prove herself. She loved designing machines, and she wanted to be the best and shove it in the wolves' collective faces. 

Especially Ben. He had a beef with her, just like she did with his packmates.

“Would you believe the guy doesn’t like Halloween?” asked Finn, making Rey’s eyes widen in shock.

“That’s, that’s...just wrong. Looks like I’m going to have to set him straight on more than one topic.”

Finn shook his head at his friend’s single-minded focus on the opposite team. Poe was the first to reach the reigning champions. Stopping in front of Phasma, he introduced himself. "I'm Poe. Enchanted to meet you. If you want to disappear with me, or just need an alibi, call me."

"Well aren't you smooth. No dice, mage boy. You're not my type," said Phasma, making Finn chuckle. "What do you want?"

As Poe fumbled, Rose approached the small trebuchet, and Hux rushed in front of her. As soon as they made eye contact, though, they began a silent staring contest.

Rey dove right in with Ben. "So how are those two pack buddies of yours that trespassed in my forest a couple nights ago? Still upset a little fae girl beat them up?"

His eyes widened in shock as he discovered just whom he was speaking to. He couldn't explain why, but the moment he met her eyes, all of his baser animal instincts kicked in. The need to protect and take care of, to be in charge, to fight, and mostly, to be the best. He ignored the stirrings of lust at seeing her, as this was not the place to indulge or understand why he was suddenly feeling it now. 

He joined the team because Hux asked him to, and he made it a point to be a good ambassador for his pack, to counteract Hux and Phasma's thirst for blood. Right now, he felt he could rival both of them. There was something about this fae...she awakened something deep and primal in him. Her delicate, hazel eyes and numerous, cute freckles were the only soft part of her. Her long legs and toned frame made him hungry, and it wasn't until she spoke that he realized what. 

Revenge for two of his knights that had stumbled into fae territory three nights ago. The night before the full moon. 

"So  _ you're _ the foolhardy fae who risked her life to chase them away. You could've been killed that close to the full moon!" he roared, hands falling to his sides. "Why did you do it?"

All surrounding them went quiet at his display of temper. Everyone instinctively was afraid when he raised his voice. He never did; he was the alpha of the pack for a reason. 

To his chagrin, the little fae didn't even flinch. She seemed immune to his commanding growl, only raising an eyebrow instead of answering him, egging him on to get louder. 

Truth be told, the low rumble of his voice combined with his intoxicating scent and nearness had Rey wet. The tension between them was thick in the air, and it seeped into her body, leaving her aching and needy. Thankfully in her skirt, he couldn't see her press her thighs together, and she got a thrill out of riling him up. She got the feeling not many could or did. 

"Answer me!" he demanded, all three of the werewolves around him bowing their heads at hearing the command in his voice. He stepped closer until he was in her face, leaning down to crowd her. 

Rey had to fight to hold back the full-body shiver that enveloped her as his face drew dangerously close to hers. At that distance, she could almost feel his prickly beard and wanted to know how it would feel rubbing against her wet core, creating delicious friction. Doing her best to ignore the lustful thoughts, she mentally chided herself. She didn't understand why she liked being this close to him, or why she was so turned on by his obvious display of masculinity. He was trying to intimidate her, though, and she would have none of it. 

"Your alpha commands don't work on me, mangy mutt. Ask nicely and respectfully, and maybe I'll answer you," she returned quietly. "I owe you nothing."

As his jaw dropped, all the others around them laughed. 

After he recovered, he backed up and snarled, "Then why are you here?" 

"To say hello." 

She smirked, and he rolled his eyes. "Hello? Who  _ are _ you?"

She gave him a small curtsy. "It is I, Rey of Jakku forest, and these are my teammates, Poe, Finn, and Rose. We're the ones who are going to beat you this year."

"Is that so." 

He moved in closer, never actually touching her. It was common for werewolves to avoid touching others as they had been taught to hate forcing a soulmate bond on someone, especially when they turned into such violent beasts regularly. All were afraid of hurting -- or worse, killing -- their mates if they weren't werewolves as well, and not everyone wanted to be turned into one. Still, by standing so close, he reminded her of just how big he was compared to her, and she loved it. Loved feeling tiny physically, even if not in any other way. She was used to being taller among the fae.

"I don't think you know who you're messing with. We've won this four years in a row, little one," he taunted with an arrogant tilt of his head. "As small as you look, I'm still surprised you managed to fight off two werewolves when they're strongest."

She huffed and stood on her tiptoes, growling quietly. "They were  _ easy _ . Weak. Just like you are, I'm sure."

His eyes darkened, and she shivered when she heard his threatening, gravelly tone. "I'll show you weak.” 

His whole body lunged for her, and he would've tackled her to the ground were it not for Mitaka and Phasma each holding an arm. He was much faster than his packmates in the forest, no clumsiness in his movements, only feline grace and animal ferocity. 

Rey was surprised by how much she liked that little movement he made. He truly looked and acted like a predator, and her body yearned to touch him, to explore the other responses she could wring out of him. The tension grew between them, and she could feel it in her bones, how she yearned to touch him, to feel the heat and anger that radiated off of him. 

"Your pack members were on  _ my _ land, and I protected it. I'll fight you, too, if I have to," she said, eyeing him without flinching. 

"That land used to be our land. You stole it from us! You stole it from my grandfather!" he cried, trying to break free of the two holding him back. 

Rey's blood boiled at the accusation. "We never steal! It's not our fault you don't specify things in deals."

"It's the same thing," he said dismissively, arms breaking loose. By that time, some of his anger had abated, and he was more in control as he towered above her. "You still took it. You're on my land." He leaned in and smelled her. "You even smell like the land, like crushed leaves, pine needles, and earth." He heaved in a breath. "The best scent ever. My land. That makes you mine," he whispered, making her draw back defiantly. 

Her heart beat a staccato rhythm within her chest, the tension boiling into something explosive and hot as he claimed her as his. The heat she felt coming from him earlier was even stronger now, and his scent overpowered her, something spicy and earthy filling her senses, making her think of moonlit walks rolling around in the grass or on the forest floor.

With his tree trunks for arms and legs, she would happily climb him and beg him to go rough with her, to truly feel connected to the earth. As intensely as he looked at her, she knew with certainty he was all of her fantasies combined. 

However, the thought of simply rolling over and letting him win was never going to happen.

"I am not your anything! It's my land, fair and square, and if you enter it, I'll send you back with your tail between your legs. I'll embarrass you in front of your whole pack," she threatened, pointing a finger at his rapidly rising and falling chest. 

"And if you touch me, I'll show you why I'm the leader of the pack," he grit out, his shirt ready to burst at the buttons. "I'll make sure you can't move or walk."

Rey should  _ not  _ have been so excited by the prospect. She felt bad for his shirt buttons, and she wished to see what his chest looked like underneath. 

Pulling away so as to clear her head of the lust, she said, "I'd like to see you try. If you want to come on the land, you have to ask me first."

He grumbled quietly before saying, "We'll agree to disagree, about this and the pumpkin chunking. You're about to lose. We're the best."

He gave her a smug look, and she scoffed, shaking her head. "Hardly," she retorted. “That's only because you haven't competed against us yet. Kiss that crown goodbye, wolfy."

"You really feel that confident about your team?" he asked, hands going to his hips. 

"Yes. We'll beat you  _ easily _ ," she maintained, folding arms across her chest, even as her teammates cringed.

"Good. Then prove it. If your team wins, you keep that forest land. If my pack team wins, we get control of it," he dared, looking pleased with himself. 

It was dangerous to do, but she believed in her team. Mostly, she didn't want to lose to him. "Fine. Deal. We have witnesses to prove it."

As Finn and Phasma nodded, Hux and Rose finally broke out of their staring match to blink. 

"Let me see your winning trebuchet from last year. You brought it here to show off,” said Rose, at the same height as Hux. She pointed at Ben. “Go and tell your leader that I have been charged with the quest of inspecting your design. If he will let me see it, we might go easy on you when we win. Maybe even share our winning idea with you."

Hux chuckled slightly as his hands went to his hips, wiggling them slightly. "Well, I'll ask him, but I don't think he'll be very keen. He's already got one, you see?" 

Rose blinked, not believing him. "What?" 

Finn moved next to her. "He says they already got one."

Rose narrowed her eyes at Hux and barely acknowledged Finn. "Are you  _ sure _ you've got one?"

"Oh yes, it's very nice," said Hux before whispering through the mental pack link, "I told her we already got one."

Both Phasma and Mitaka chuckled, at least until Rose responded back.

"Then you should have no problem with me coming to have a look at your old one."

Hux grit his teeth. "Still can't. Can only give a demonstration. Mitaka,  _ fetchez la vache _ ." 

"Oh, aren't you special that you can speak French--"

Rose's words died on her tongue as Mitaka hefted an adult cow onto the miniature trebuchet, pulled a lever, and sent the cow flying with a loud moo. Even Ben and Rey paid attention to the pair after that as Mitaka went to check on the unwitting victim.

"And that's just the smaller version with a much larger payload," commented Hux proudly before clearing his throat. "Besides, I wouldn't trust those cloven hooves of yours anywhere close to my precious design. You'd destroy it." 

He stepped closer when he saw her bare her teeth in response. His face looked almost gleeful.

Rose's face drew back in disgust. "But you let it sit out--"

"That was before we received the rules and regulations for this year," he teased, moving in a little more, his predatory grin showing his eye teeth. "Sorry, not anymore. You would suffer a fate worse than death."

"It can't be any worse than your scent, you smelly mongrel," she retorted, hands fisting at her side as she stomped closer to him.

"You don't actually think I smell odd, do you?" Hux asked, voice rising sharply. "You smell pretty good for a forest-romping centaur, actually." He looked her up and down appreciatively. 

She looked around, a little confused at the change in tone. "Thank you?" she asked, uncertain how to respond. 

Ben whispered to Rey, "I think they're getting along?" 

"Maybe right now, but you better believe you won't see us again until we beat you on Halloween," she insisted, wanting to get away from the male that sent all of her sense into overdrive.

"--But you still can't look at the trebuchet. None of your hooves allowed," snarked Hux, turning around as though to leave.

"I'll give you no hooves allowed," returned Rose, turning in a circle and donkey kicking Hux's rear with her hind legs. "Eat my--"

"Mate?"

While werewolves had compunctions about touching others, Rose did  _ not.  _ What no one expected was that as soon as her hooves connected with Hux, a flash of red light shone between them, a soulmate marking appearing where her hooves met Hux's skin. Hux went flying to the ground, but not before Rose cried out and knelt, apologizing profusely for hurting her mate.

"You were saying?" commented Ben with a knowing grin to Rey. "Looks like we're going to be spending a lot more quality time together."

"How did I get so lucky?" she deadpanned, even if she was happy for Rose. 

They were distracted from one another by the sounds of quick feet ruffling the grass. "Right, that's enough out of the lot of you hooligans," said Threepio, looking between them all. "Now you've gone too far sending farm animals into the air."

"But I already checked! The cow is fine!" protested Mitaka as he huffed and bent over his knees.

"Nope. First cows, and now soulmates. This gathering has gotten too silly. Off you go! Shoo!" cried Threepio, waving his hands so all would leave. 

He watched as Rose gently picked up her mate and placed him on her back, cooing over him. Ben gave a little salute to Rey before motioning for her to go ahead. As she marched ahead with her team, he turned to his remaining teammates. 

"You heard the cyborg. Give him what he wants, and set the cow free."

Both werewolves grinned before dropping the cow in front of Threepio and running off.

Threepio gave a long-suffering sigh. "Werewolves. Well I never!"

"That's what you get for calling us Team Jacob!"


	2. The Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The angst has arrived, along with more Monty Python

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H, I was feeling inspired after all your comments. I hope you'll enjoy this. Here's your angst.

"Well, this just got more complicated."

Rey surveyed her team's gathered materials and wondered if they would get their pumpkin chucking machine created in time.

Originally, since Rey was awake at night and Finn didn't sleep, they would plan and build at night, handing over the reins to Rose and Poe during the day. That way, they had plenty of time to build, test, and perfect their device with multiple trial runs.

Now that Rose was soul-bound to Hux, she was determined to become a nocturnal woman so she could be on the same sleep schedule as her mate. 

Poe, however, was much more sanguine about all of it. "Not really, Rey. I'll just live like you two for six weeks and then go back to my daytime habits. I don't mind. I've got caffeine and magic to keep me awake."

The thought of him ruining his body for the team seemed pointless to Rey. "I am your leader--"

"I didn't vote for you," quipped Poe, giving her a look.

Her hands went to her hips. "You don't vote for leaders--"

"Well, how'd you become our leader?" sassed Poe, crossing his arms in front of him.

"The lady who turned in our paperwork was the one who had to pick a team captain on the spot, so guess who she chose," she deadpanned, crossing toward him. 

Poe's eyes glinted with amusement. "Listen, strange women livin' in ponds distributin' our paperwork is no basis for a system of leading our team..."

"It is when you forgot to do it yourself!" she threw back, a little miffed. "And I do not live in a pond."

"Still! You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some dramatic cyborg threw a piece of paper at you," insisted Poe, holding his ground. "At least give us a choice."

Rey faced her other two teammates. "Who do you want to lead us?"

"Rey," said both in unison, making her grin. 

Poe shook his head but gave in gracefully. "I promise I don't mind living on night shift. Despite dripping with good looks, I'm quite old."

"You know what you are?" she asked, stalking back to her spot. 

"What?"

"You're difficult. Really difficult," she responded before scrunching her nose. "You could have Finn with you--"

"No point. Honestly, it'll be better this way with all of us able to talk at the same time. Less chance of miscommunication," explained Poe, waving off her concerns. "Don't you remember what happened when I experimented with Jawa Juice for BeeBee?"

Rose chuckled as Rey shook her head. "Yes. Your little cyborg raven couldn't move for a week because Dio heard you say you wanted BeeBee to rest. He told you to give him way too much oil."

"Exactly. So, Rose, based on the rules given to us, how much does that change our initial design?" asked Poe as the centaur looked over their blueprints. 

"Very little. A couple modifications in weights and lengths, but all doable. We have all that we need."

"Then let's get sawing!" cried Finn, separating the piles of materials between the three to do their part. "I'll move things away into the lay down zone as you finish."

They had a sort of assembly line idea in mind for the initial cutting, and then they would begin the moving and rigging to put all the parts together. Rose passed the time by singing little ditties, and Poe would sometimes chime in. With them working together, they finished faster than planned, and Rey was grateful. 

It would make up for all the time they lost when Rose visited Hux. Rey's only consolation was that the wolves would be down one teammate as well. 

It was three days into building when Rose finally brought up what Rey dreaded she would. 

Soulmates were so rare and hard to find; Rose had found hers purely by chance. Rey didn't think she would be so lucky. She had always been lonely, had always been searching, and she had just about given up finding hers. Seeing Rose happy gave her a small measure of hope and joy, but mostly Rey felt more alone than ever. Friendships were her only solace, as she had no family, but even there, she joined the friend group late. 

"I'm going to visit Hux today to see how he's doing. Should I go by myself, or bring someone along?"

Rey selfishly wanted Rose to go alone to get more work done, as well as to not be reminded of what she didn't have. But the thought of abandoning her friend to the wolves, or just seeing Ben again, tempted her to go with Rose. 

"One of us should go with you," said Rey, standing up. "For your safety. I'm just not sure whom."

"I agree," said the two guys in stereo, high-fiving one another at their timing. Finn still moved through Poe's hand, but neither cared.

"I don't think Finn should go since he can't do much. My initial reaction is to have you go, Rey. Phasma doesn't seem to like me, and you have some kind of thing going on with Solo," commented Poe, kneeling to begin work again. 

Rey glared at him. "A thing?"

"Oh yeah, we all see it. Some kind of tension between you," said Rose, sidling next to her. 

"Some might even call it sexual tension," said Poe, waggling an eyebrow. 

"I think you're imagining things," huffed Rey, not wanting to admit it as she avoided Poe's face.

"Maybe, maybe not. Come with me anyway," entreated Rose, tugging on Rey's hand. "It's obvious he likes you, or at least has a soft spot for you."

"How do you know that?" asked Rey, truly baffled. "I thought he hated me. He tried to attack me."

"Not many beings can stir up the mild-mannered Solo like you can," said Finn, floating closer. "Many have tried. If he wasn't talking to you, he was staring at you like you were his next meal."

"You know, that song is called 'Hungry Like the Wolf' for a reason," intoned Rey, not believing them. 

"He would tolerate your presence more than mine," said Poe, adding in his two cents. "You could distract him well as he attempts to prove what a good alpha and mate he would make by never leaving your side."

"If I could reach you, I'd kick you," muttered Rey as she agreed, turning to face Rose.

She refused to admit it, but she wanted to talk to Ben again, too, if only to rile him up. She had felt so alive when talking to Ben. 

"That's why I'm over here. Have fun, you two. Especially you, Rey," said Poe, eyeing her with a smug grin. "Having a moment alone, naked in the woods, would do you both worlds of good to take the edge off that tension."

"We're leaving now," announced Rey, ignoring the wizard. "We'll be back, hopefully soon."

They were not. Hux and Rose immediately got lost in talking about specifications for building things and swapping stories of what they had built in the past, both in awe of the other.

Rey couldn't believe that Poe had been right. Ben never left her side as soon as he saw her.

She smelled Ben before she saw him, and it was odd because all the rest of his pack smelled awful, like a wet dog. Ben, however, was the most heavenly scent in existence. The true scent, the only smell she ever wanted to smell. Rose led them to the team because she followed Hux's scent, but Rey could've done it just as easily. 

Her eyes were drawn inexplicably to his as soon as she saw him. There had to be some kind of invisible force connecting them, because as soon as she saw him, all the distance between them disappeared. There was no one else. 

Just Ben.

He looked absolutely delicious that day with his arm sleeves rolled up and sweat beading down his forehead as he lifted heavy objects. He dropped the pile of wood as soon as he saw her, and she tried not to notice how his shirt bulged at his buttons. How his chest strained against his red and black flannel shirt, at least the part that she could see above his high-waisted suspenders. He was wearing a hat that day, a gray, furry one, and he had a small ax attached to one belt loop. 

"Solo looks like a lumberjack," giggled Rose, "so big and strapping. Try to restrain yourself."

"I have lots of self-restraint," protested Rey, even if she was unaccountably thirsty. "Besides, he's not interested in me."

"In that sheer, white dress, definitely not. That's why he's walking toward you with his eyes glued on you," said Rose with a roll of her eyes.

Rose disappeared after that, and Rey wasn't sure when. All she did know was that with every step she took, the heat and tension within her soared higher. 

When they finally reached one another, eyes locked and with heaving chests, Rey was sure Ben could hear her beating heart, how it pounded madly because he was nearby. He was staring at her as though he had no pack, no team, nothing else claiming him.

Just her. 

How she longed to have a soulmate who would look at her like that every day. The intensity of his gaze up close made her yearn to close the distance, to touch his face and see how his eyes would soften for her. She could already imagine it, how the color of his eyes would change from dark walnut to amber whiskey, and it created an ache between her legs, forcing her to press her legs together to find pressure. 

"I knew your scent, even before I saw you," he said by way of greeting.

She shivered anew, surprised and yet not that he also seemed to be just as affected as her. 

"I could find you anywhere," she replied, making him grin. "You're so distinct."

"Then we can torture one another together," he murmured, a hand sliding up, stopping just short of her chin. 

The urge to move, to close the gap, burned through her. Just as she was about to, his hand fell, his face growing troubled. Thus rejected, she stepped back, deciding it truly was torture, especially with Rose and Hux nearby. 

"Why are you here?" he asked, looking her up and down. 

She had little in the way of curves; she was built too lean for those. Ben, however, didn't seem to notice. He observed the toned muscles of her legs, and she felt the heat between them build, from a small flame into a forest fire that threatened to consume her entirely. 

Slick coated her thighs, and she felt her nipples harden in anticipation. She wondered why he didn't comment on how her legs were crossed, or how obviously aroused she was, at least until she saw his suspenders. 

He was hung like a predator, thick and huge based on the bulge she saw. His trouser snake yearned to be freed, to explore her depths and sink into her. She wanted him to desperately. 

"Rose wanted--"

"I know why she's here. Not you," he said, cutting her off angrily. "Do you not trust us wolves to take care of a pack member's mate?"

"I, I--"

His face fell at the guilty look on her face. "Clearly not. She has nothing to fear from us, nor any possibility of him trying to use her to gain information about your team's design. Are you satisfied?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"No," she blurted. She'd never be satisfied. Not until she found her mate. "I still want to be here."

For a moment, his eyes lit up with something soft, and she wished she could see it again. Then, his eyes became dark and untrusting. "Why? To spy on us?"

"No!" she cried, truly hurt that he would accuse her of that. "My team will win, fair and square."

He stepped closer. "Then why come here?"

_ To see you. _

There was no way she would tell him that. Still, as she remained quiet, grasping at straws to find a reason, he interpreted her silence and moved in, his body heat palpable.

"Is that so?" he asked, smirking. "Just can't stay away from me?"

"No!" she fired back far too quickly, rolling back her shoulders. "I wanted to know why you hate Halloween. Most supernatural beings love that time of year."

He quirked one eyebrow, doubting her but rolling with it. "What fun is Halloween if everyone dresses up like you because they think you're a monster and villain?"

_ That _ brought her up short. "I'm sorry. I never thought about it like that before."

"I don't want your pity," he said savagely, turning away.

Oh, if that didn't bother her the most! To be his sole center of attention and then deprived of it because he misunderstood her.

"I never meant it that way," she replied, making him pause in bending over to pick up the plywood and other wooden boards. At least the view was pleasant. Seeing his glistening back and rippling muscles from behind sent her body into overdrive. It took all of her concentration to remember what she meant to say next. "I guess I'm used to having a bad name as a fae and accepting it. I always wished my kind was as popular as yours. You can't change who you are."

"You can't." He stood up and pulled his shirt down, and how she wished she were his hands, following them as they slid down the sweat-slick skin. "Why would you wish to be like me, though? Everyone hates me."

"That's not true," she protested, outing herself to make him feel better. "You serve an important part in our community with your strong sense of smell and strength. And some of us appreciate your...predatory tendencies."

The heat in his gaze threatened to burn her where she stood. She felt as though he had set her on fire as he leaned in, sniffing the air. "In what way?" he murmured, his nose and eyes following the curve of her face and cheeks, stopping at her lips. 

"I--"

It was hard to speak when it seemed like any moment he would kiss her. Lust thickened and filled her veins, making it hard to move or think, to do anything besides yearn for him to end their collective suffering and touch her. 

"Wolf got your tongue?" he asked with a knowing grin. "Or would you like the Big Bad Wolf to visit you?"

"Yes," she choked out shamelessly, voice lowering as she went on. She couldn't explain why, but she felt a great need to tell him the truth. "To feel small and helpless while being chased. To be wanted with single-minded determination, such as by a powerful predator, and yet, to be treasured." Both heaved a long breath after that, and she felt even more moisture between her legs, her need for him increasing with every image of him doing such things to her.

Because she knew with certainty he would. 

"Why wish for that?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. His head tilted to the side, and his eyes studied her further, as though committing her face to memory.

"Because I'm used to being the strongest one in my group," she explained breathlessly, hands clutching fistfuls of her dress. "I don't want to always be in charge or constantly asking others for things. Why can't someone want me for me?"

He exhaled slowly through his nose. "Why indeed?" Somehow, his face drew closer. "I've never heard truer words. To be wanted just for yourself is...the most freeing and beautiful of all."

She nodded, all words caught in her throat. They stood like that until a wood chip flew and landed at their feet.

"Hey, supposed enemies, stop acting like bigger fools in love than Hux and his mate," called Phasma, shaking her head. "At least try to be useful since the mates are exempt."

"I'm sorry--"

"Don't be," he interrupted, holding up a hand to halt her speech. "Just...give me a minute to help her by giving her the supplies she needs. Then you can try to convince me further that Halloween is the best season ever."

He picked up the wood, and she drooled over the way the flannel shirt seemed to groan over his body. His cock was still hard as a rock, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was always like that, or only for her. 

The rest of their time together passed quickly, as Rey had many reasons why she loved Halloween. He moved a lot of things as they chatted, and she took advantage of the good view to admire it fully. When Rose finally asked to leave, she was almost sad to leave Ben.

"Well, you two got cozy over there," said Rose, elbowing Rey playfully as they walked back to their teammates. 

"It's nothing. Just enemies trying to convince the other that we're right. Nothing more," said Rey half-heartedly. 

"Sure, Rey. Keep telling yourself that. It has absolutely nothing to do with the way you stared at his ass half the time. You like your lumberjack, don't you?"

"He's not  _ my  _ lumberjack, or anything of the sort," groaned Rey, staring at the canopy of trees above, a wide array of fall colors above. "Though I will allow he would make a good lumberjack. He's okay."

Rose eyed her before singing, "He's a lumberjack, and he's okay. He works all night, and he sleeps all day."

"Rose, no! Don't sing about him! He could hear us--"

"Psh, I doubt it. That's the refrain, by the way. Join in whenever," said Rose, grinning proudly. "He cuts down trees; he eats pussy--"

"No doubt like an animal with those plush lips," sighed Rey, giving up on stopping Rose and her love of singing. 

Rose grinned, nudging Rey to join her. When Rey finished singing the refrain, Rose continued, "He cuts down trees; he stomps and hunts. He wants to bone you so hard--"

Rey blushed and was relieved that she could spot Poe. "Rose!"

"What? It's true, though!"

"What are you two arguing about now? Inquiring wizards want to know," called Poe, waving them forward. 

"Nothing," said Rey, trying to stop further discussion. 

"Other than Solo and their apparent lack of interest in one another," said Rose, earning a cough from Poe that sounded suspiciously like something else.

"But we weren't gone too long, so I think this could work out," said Rey, shrugging. "We'll continue going for a couple hours maybe three times a week?"

"Sounds good to me," said Rose, excited for more time with Hux.

For two weeks, they kept that schedule. However, things progressed well with their first prototype, and they were all feeling confident about it, so Rose and Rey were allowed to visit the other team four times a week. 

With each visit to the opposing team, Rey met more members of Ben's pack, as they came with food and supplies for the team. All of them were decent, good sorts, and they all liked Rey almost as much as they loved Rose. Rose fit in perfectly with them, her enthusiasm for all things wolf and her wildness making her a perfect addition to the pack.

Phasma and Mitaka, despite their initial reservations about Rey since she was on the opposite team, soon accepted Rey with open arms. Rey was the best chance they had of being uninterrupted while working, and she was soft where Ben was unyielding, balancing him well. The rest of the pack loved that Ben was taking all of his leadership and pack duties seriously, how Rey brought out his protective and competitive side. 

As the full moon approached, though, little changes occurred within the group. Phasma became more surly, and Mitaka grew more stoic and stiff. Hux grew protective of Rose, shielding her from everyone else and keeping her far away from his teammates.

"I don't trust any of you near Rose, my forest flower."

His mate sighed. "Hux, I'm more than capable, and I'll prove it when we mate under the full moon. I want to have you at your fiercest." Her fingers danced down his neck and chest. "I'm going to lock you away with me, and we're going to go at it until I've worn you out."

"Impossible. Werewolves have a low refractory period and last a long time," insisted Hux as his mate gave him a secret smile.

"You've never been with a centaur."

Ben was even harder to resist for Rey. Sure, he talked smack all the time now about how his team was going to beat hers and everyone else's, and he was getting on everyone's nerves from criticizing every tiny detail imaginable.

"It's not smooth, Phas. It needs to be--"

"You know what? I take it back. I think I preferred you before you met Rey, when you were chill about all these things. Not anal retentive to a fault," she grumbled, using sandpaper to smooth one cylindrical piece that would be used in the gears. "What's your deal anyway?"

His mouth fell open as Rey tried to hide her smile. "My deal?"

"Yeah. Why are you so uptight now? Just because a fae challenged you?"

"We could get our ancestral land back! This is a big deal!" he cried, gesturing wildly. "I'm trying to help!"

"You'd help most if you'd just lead Rey into a dark part of the forest and fuck her like you both want," muttered Phasma, making all chuckle except the couple in question. 

Both were looking anywhere but at one another. 

"We are not mates--"

"Could've fooled us," said Mitaka, breaking his silence.

Ben glanced at Rey and saw her bite her lip. "Rey, let's leave these jokers alone."

She couldn't have been more relieved. "Sure. Maybe by that tree."

Once they were far enough away to not be able to interrupt the crew working, Rey decided to break the ice. "So we can't visit the next three days, right?"

"Correct," he said, eyes sad. "Tomorrow is the night before the full moon. Tensions will be high, and we won't be doing much of anything besides avoiding one another so we don't break out in a fight."

"So no one will miss when Rose kidnaps Hux," joked Rey, making him laugh.

"Yes. He likes to assert himself and climb the ranks during this time, so it'll be nice to have quiet while he is otherwise distracted. What will you do the next few nights?"

"I'll guard my land as always. I've got a special pair of boxing gloves I wear to give myself an edge on you wolves," she said with a shrug. "I've got wolfsbane as well, but I've never needed it."

He cleared his throat. "You should keep it on hand. I'm not sure what I will be like, nor my pack," he said, looking away.

"I can take anyone from your pack easily. Why you, though?" she asked, concerned. "Feeling like a midnight stroll on land that will never be yours?"

"No," he grit out, leaning on the tree with a white hand. "I...can't stop thinking about you." His hands covered his face and ruffled his hair and beard. "It's as though you're in my blood," he said, voice muffled. "I can feel you all around me. I can't escape you. There's this…"

He trailed off, showing the haunted look in his eyes as he gazed at her, as though willing her to finish the sentence.

"Ache," she finally admitted. "It's gotten stronger with every day I don't see you."

"Yes," he said quietly. "I can't stop thinking about you, your body, your scent, how you invade every part of my life."

She nodded, understanding all too well. He had a pack, a family she wished she had. The fae all kept to themselves, and she yearned for the community he had. Her life in the forest was so boring by comparison. 

There were moments when she was falling asleep that she wondered what it would be like if she was mated to Ben. Every time she imagined it, she liked it more and more. It was a rather comforting dream to her, that she could spend even more time with him and join his pack family. However, she was afraid to touch him, that he wouldn't welcome her. Despite all their interesting conversations, he hadn't tried to initiate anything with her. 

She had hoped by now that he could tell that she was interested in him, but she wasn't sure. She wanted so much for him to make the first move since she had essentially told him so earlier. She didn't want to be the aggressor. 

However, given how he was talking, she was beginning to think that she needed to give him a nudge in the right direction. It gave her an idea for a Halloween costume. 

"Same," she said, voice becoming more sultry. "I think about you way more than I should. There's one thing in particular that I'm burning to know, however."

He gulped. "What's that?"

"What are you dressing as for Halloween this year?" She tilted her head and licked her lips. "I'm torn between two ideas."

He wrung his hands. "I, uh, I hadn't planned to--"

"I think you should," she said, grabbing a falling leaf and tracing his cheek with it, making them both shiver. "I'd love to see you in something...more predatory."

"What about you?" he asked, Adam's apple bobbing. "More prey-like?"

She nodded. "I'm torn between a feral bunny rabbit or housecat, leaning toward the rabbit." She patted her rear. "Can you imagine me with a fluffy, little tail here, maybe a low-cut shirt, and some cute ears?"

He growled, and the sound went right to the apex of her thighs, a new wave of wetness hitting her. When her eyes glanced down, she was none too pleased that his erection grew larger.

"I can," he said, drawing her eyes up. "I'd like to see that very much."

"I hope you'll be able to handle the little killer rabbit," she teased, wiggling her hips. "You better have as good a costume."

"I will," he promised, eyes focusing on her lips. "Just for you."

"I can't wait."

His hands fisted at his side, and when he didn't move, she knew he wasn't going to do anything. Not wanting to push him when the moon had him at his worst, she slipped a loose strand of hair behind her ear and backed away. 

"Thank you, Ben. I hope everything will go smoothly for you and your pack the next few days. I'll be back in no time."

"I hope so," he said, looking sad to see her go. "Remember to keep the wolfsbane handy. It can at least knock us out."

She agreed for his sake before leaving. She doubted she would need it, and after surviving the first night with no visitors, she didn't expect anyone to trespass. That was how she found herself deep in the woods on the full moon, using the extra light to hunt down a meal. 

It was a bit of a shock to her when she heard a loud series of crunches of sticks and leaves some ways away. She froze to see what was so big that it would cause such a noise, and soon she heard heavy footsteps, followed by panting. 

She gave up on hunting as the large creature scared away all her game. The scent in the air reminded her of Ben, and yet, there was something different about it. Hiding behind a bush, she waited for the being to find her, wondering if it was Ben.

It was. He was unlike any of the members of his pack that she had seen, though. Like them, he stood on two legs, but he was twice the height of them. His corded legs were thicker than some tree trunks. Where the rest of the pack was a sandy brown or gray, he was pitch black, with thick fur covering him everywhere. His elongated snout and sharp canines fit well with his yellow eyes that cut through the night. 

He stopped to sniff the air, howling when he knew he was close. His plaintive, yearning howl filled the night, echoing through the deathly still forest, knocking leaves off their branches in his intensity. 

Rey couldn't help it. She stood up and showed herself, knowing at some soul-deep level that he was looking for her, calling to her. In her head, she told herself that only she could soothe the savage beast. 

As soon as he saw her, he howled again. This time, there was nothing soft or forlorn in it, or his mien. He stood taller, prouder. Now, he sounded like the highest predator in the forest, commanding and protective, as though he were claiming her as the long sound set her heart and body on fire. 

He had spoken before of her being in his blood. Now he was in hers. His spicy scent and raging heat tried to consume her whole. He was at his most dangerous and least rational, and she found herself inexplicably drawn to him, like a moth to the flame. She stepped closer as he eyed her with a naked hunger she had never seen before, and she almost wanted him to claim her, then and there.

Instinctively, she knew he would never hurt her. Still, she got a thrill out of the idea of him seeking her out. His sharp claws were on full display, and she was glad she was wearing long pants and sleeves. 

"Ben."

He froze. "Kylo Ren." In seconds, he was on her, pouncing upon her, and she fell backward, in awe at the ferocity that gripped him as a paw reached toward her, as though to step on her. "Rey."

Her lips fell open at his words, as they didn't normally talk in this form. She didn't know how to respond. 

She crawled back further, and he growled, "No!"

As his head and body lowered, her hands came up to protect herself. With a firm punch to his left jaw, he fell back slightly, eyeing her. She conserved her energy, knowing better than to hope he would stop after one hit. It had taken fifteen solid minutes of fighting others in his pack before they gave in.

Ben was bigger and stronger. He was heavier whenever he pinned her down with his body, but he never stayed long. Her legs were made to fight, and it wasn't long before she was standing up and dodging him, getting in hits wherever she could. 

With each hit, his eyes grew more golden, signaling that he was losing more of his humanity. His movements became less thought-out, more violent as he slammed into her midsection, tossing her around several times like a ragdoll as they tussled. 

She fought with everything within her. She pushed herself beyond her limits, but he wasn't wearing out at all. He seemed furious, determined to slaughter or claim her based on how he kept swiping at her neck. When he finally wore her out, she collapsed on the ground, fighting to catch her breath. 

"Ben," she called weakly, eyes pleading with him to hear her. "Please. Stop."

He paused for a moment before howling, approaching her slowly. 

"Ben, please. I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded, gloves held out in front of her. "I just want you to stay. Be with me."

His eyes lost their golden hue, and she breathed in relief, crawling closer on her knees until her hands could almost touch his snout.

"Ben, I'm here. It's Rey," she said softly, closing her hands around his face. "Just let me touch you. Just once. Let me prove I care."

For she did care. Far too much. Even after he attacked her, she still liked the idea of being his mate, and she wanted him to know that. He wouldn't remember any of this more than likely, but she didn't care. His inner wolf needed to know she wanted to be his mate. 

One gloved hand curved over his face before both enclosed his snout, petting him gently. All at once, his eyes grew softer, and he plopped onto all fours, leaning into her touch. 

She had never been so relieved. He didn't reject her. She played with his wet nose and rubbed his long, shaggy fur, tempted to remove her gloves and feel him without any barriers. When finished with his snout, she cradled his head, staring at him for a few moments before scratching behind his ears and caressing his cheeks. 

"Ben, Kylo Ren, no matter who you are...I'm not afraid," she said softly. 

He melted into a puddle of midnight fur, his ragged breathing evening out as his eyes closed. She continued to pet him until he seemed to fall asleep.

"I care about you, Ben. Far more than you realize," she whispered, eventually lying down beside him without touching him. 

Hopefully, in the morning, she could explain what happened, and he would tell her why he had left his pack to find her. 

\----------

When Ben awoke, it was just as the sun was rising. He was confused why he was in the forest, at least until spotty memories came back, of him growing moody until Phasma told him to rut with Rey. He left after that, going to his room and locking the door to avoid Rey. The next thing he recalled was him turning and feeling as though his soul was empty, broken in half. 

There was only one who could fill it, and her scent still lingered in the air around him, so he burst through the iron bars on the windows and sought Rey. The next thing he recalled was spotting Rey, and how right and complete he felt. 

Werewolves never initiated contact. Everyone knew that. When he saw her, he tackled her to the ground, wanting more than anything to be her mate, so he had offered her a paw, the werewolf equivalent of asking to initiate touch. 

She had turned him down. It had destroyed him, left him hopeless and angry after all the interest she had shown in him. The next thing he recalled was attacking her, and he cringed until he remembered her broken plea for him to stop. 

He hated himself. He was a monster, and he had treated her poorly. He didn't remember anything beyond that, so he assumed that she used wolfsbane, as he had requested. 

It was better that way. He deserved nothing else. Getting up quickly, he sprinted away, watching to make sure she never woke up. 

In the next two weeks that followed, he requested that Rey not come. He couldn't bear to see her. He wasn't strong enough to resist her, nor did he know how to apologize for almost killing her. He was a caged lion for those two weeks, pacing and striking at anyone who dared speak to him. 

Shame and self-loathing kept him hostage until the day before the competition, when Rey and Rose appeared together. He smelled Rey before he saw her. It filled his nostrils and pricked at his skin, little tendrils of awareness everywhere.

Why did she come back? Wasn't she afraid of him? Didn't she hate him? Why did she play with his heart like this?

What he didn't expect to see was a mirror of his face in hers. Large bags under her eyes. Exhaustion and some other, hidden emotion held them hostage. Pale skin that no longer glowed. No spring in her step. 

Still, she ventured toward him, gait steady and unwavering, gaze unflinching. The closer she drew, the more a small smile began to unfurl, and hope was personified in that moment as he beheld her. 

His voice was broken, barely a rasp. "Rey."

Her smile destroyed him. He was not worthy of her. She was too good and forgiving, and he was a selfish, cruel beast. 

"I'm sorry," he said, sincere contrition and self-loathing in his tone.

"Hi, Ben. You're forgiven." He laughed in shock as she went on. "I know you requested I not come, but I needed to see you, to set the record straight." Her hand came up to stop him from speaking. "I fear you don't have the full story."

"I attacked you! What else matters?" he demanded, pulling his hair out. 

"What all do you remember from the night you sought me in the forest?"

"I remember this burning need to find you, to see you," he admitted, yearning to caress her face. To know if her skin was as soft as it seemed. If it tasted as good as she smelled. "I remember attacking you, and then nothing. I assume you used wolfsbane."

"I didn't," she said, her response turning his world upside down. "I didn't have to. You recognized me, even as a werewolf." Her hand reached for his face, only to fall immediately. "You let me pet you until we both fell asleep."

His brain couldn't comprehend it. He was upset, crushed that she had touched him with no soulmate bond created. "That's not the point, Rey! I still attacked--"

"But why?" she interrupted, her eyes slicing through his soul, laying him bare. "I fear I misinterpreted your movements right before that." Her lips trembled. "That's why I had to come. I have to ask you a question."

His mother always said hope was like the sun; right now it was like the sun because it warmed and filled his broken, empty soul. "Anything." 

For her, he would move the stars. Lasso the moon and give it to her. Give her a bouquet of stars that couldn't hope to shine as brilliantly as her.

"If a werewolf offers his hand to someone of another species, what does that mean?"

His heart jerked and threatened to escape his chest. He could feel it expand and pound wildly, knowing why she asked. 

Was he so lucky? Did she truly not know? 

"It means that he wants to touch her, to determine if they could be soulmates," he said, trying to regulate his breathing as her eyes widened in understanding. "The werewolf makes the first step and will not try again if rejected. It is the way."

"But, but what if the other didn't realize or understand when he did it?" she asked, hands going to her chin, giving him a pleading look.

"It is up to the other to accept or request another chance," he said, face growing sad even as his heart thudded with joy, that she might be interested in him after all. "But, I fear it would be useless. If you petted me in my wolf form--"

She cut him off, stepping closer. "I was wearing gloves and long-sleeves."

His jaw dropped as his previous hope burned brighter than the sun. They could still be soulmates since they hadn't shared skin-to-skin contact. He could still have her. 

"I could kiss you," he said, stepping into her personal space. 

"You should. Tomorrow, after I win the competition," she said, giving him a saucy look. "I have a special costume I'm wearing for you tomorrow. I hope you're wearing something special for me."

He knew he gave her a stricken look, as he had forgotten about the costume. She tsked. 

"You have twenty-four hours in which to find a suitable costume, or your little bunny rabbit will become very sad and lonely." She licked her lips and twitched her nose adorably, looking up at him through her lashes. With a sultry purr, she murmured, "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

His whole body longed to press her against a tree and have his wicked way with her. She had unleashed an animal within him, and he was beginning to suspect and hope that she was his soulmate. It was the only way it made sense. He wanted it more than anything. 

"I wouldn't."

His rumble sent shivers across her body, and he noted with pride how her nipples suddenly appeared through her thin tank top. She liked it. All of it. 

"Then you had better get out of here and find a costume stat," she warned, looking him up and down. "I'd love to see you all dressed up."

"Would you?'" he asked with a gulp. "If you'd like it--"

"I'd  _ love  _ it," she said, blowing him a kiss. "It's the final countdown, Ben. To seeing whose design wins, and what you'll do for a costume. I hope you're ready."

He smirked. "I've never been more excited for Halloween before."

"Good. Me too," she said, waving goodbye to him. "I'll see you tomorrow. May the best pumpkin chunking trebuchet win."

"May the mass times acceleration be with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I give myself away with this chapter?


	3. Rock You Like A Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with 100% more belligerent sexual tension and Monty Python references

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanted lots of fun Halloween costumes and sexual tension, right? Good. So did I.

It was early morning. The sun was coming up. The night had been shaking and pretty loud for the Werewolves of Exegol as they put the final touches on their finest creation yet, The Starkiller. 

The giant trebuchet on wheels stood taller than Ben, but he still yelled orders at everyone amid painting. Originally, they weren’t going to paint it, but Rose had hinted a week ago that the Scary Monsters and Super Creeps were painting theirs. 

At that, Ben was insistent that they one-up the other team in every possible way. As a result, it was the brightest orange ever seen, an eyesore -- like blue Christmas lights at night. It was a custom color found by Phasma that she guaranteed would blind all the competition. As soon as Ben saw it, he jogged to his home and brought back four pairs of sunglasses.

“Everyone put these on as we paint.”

“Why are you making us wear sunglasses at night?” complained Phasma, taking them because he invoked his right as Alpha to force them to do so.

“I wear my sunglasses at night so I can see and not be blinded by this paint. It’s too bright. It practically glows,” intoned Ben as he glanced at Phasma. “Did a witch make this for you?”

Phasma folded her arms. “And if one did?”

“I applaud your ability to exceed orders, even if my eyes disagree,” said Ben as he knelt down with a brush. “Now let’s paint. We have a competition to win.”

Two painted while the other two helped dry it with hair dryers. Despite it being only painting, Ben still managed to piss off everyone at least twice from either laying the paint on too thick, too thin, or not working fast enough. 

The other three all heaved a huge sigh of relief when Ben declared The Starkiller complete and ready. All stood back with proud faces hidden behind their flat-topped sunglasses that they wore at night.

“You did your job too well, Phas,” commented Ben when they were finally done painting the extra black lines as racing stripes along the sides. 

“You’re welcome,” quipped Phasma with a huff. 

Ben wasn’t phased. “I hope everyone hates it and remembers it.”

“I hope you’ll finally pull that stick out of your ass tonight and bang like rabbits with that fae,” muttered Hux as Phasma and Mitaka snorted. Ben’s face turned red. “You seriously need it.” 

“I hope you’re never this competitive again,” added Mitaka, shaking his head. “This was the hardest year by far.”

Ben spluttered, “We were down one teammate--”

“Usually two, loverboy,” reminded Phasma, glaring at him as all converged on him. “You gave us lip service while flirting with the enemy.”

“I helped!” insisted Ben, turning redder than blood. “I never did much to begin with--”

“Not in a useful way,” said Mitaka with a long-suffering sigh. “You couldn’t drag yourself away from her.” 

"Well, she's got huge…" Ben trailed off as his hands attempted to cup his breasts, wanting very much to hold Rey's as he had dreamed about it. Embarrassed to admit that, he said instead, "Tracts of land."

"You already made that bet before," said Hux, doubting him entirely. 

“Fine, I think she’s my soulmate!” admitted Ben, cringing when he saw the unsurprised looks on everyone’s faces.

“We could’ve told you that. Why did you send her away, though?” asked Hux, touching his arm. “We didn’t understand, nor did Rose.”

“Last full moon, when I broke free, I found Rey in my wolf form and offered to touch her to see if we were mates." He took in their shocked faces and sighed. "She rejected me, and I tried to attack her,” confessed Ben, looking ashamed as he scuffed a foot in the ground. “I couldn’t bear to face her.”

He hadn’t told anyone what happened because he didn’t want everyone to pity him or try to hurt her out of a sense of vengeance. As he expected, all three gathered around him, hands going to his back and arms in sympathy. 

“We’re sorry--”

“Don’t be," he said savagely, quickly trying to move on. "She didn’t know any better, as she asked me what the gesture meant just a little while ago.” His face grew hopeful as the others nodded enthusiastically. “I think she wants me, too,” he said before his eyes widened comically. “I don’t have a Halloween costume.” 

All chuckled. “Since when do you wear a costume? You hate Halloween!” 

“Since Rey asked me to wear something nice. She hinted at a suit, but I don’t know how to make that a costume.” He stood and puzzled until Mitaka nudged him.

“If you want to look appropriate to match the weapon, you should wear that old suit of armor your grandfather wore, the one that hangs in that fancy case in your family home. It looks big enough to fit you.”

Ben hugged Mitaka, almost choking him. “You’re a genius!”

“Don’t forget to wear a chastity belt.” Phasma gave him a smug look, and Ben deigned to ignore her comment. “You can be Sir Galahad the Pure.”

“Unless you’re itching to be Maid Marian in armor,” deadpanned Hux, earning laughter from all. 

“You’re lucky you’re my closest friends. Make sure this trebuchet arrives an hour early. I’m counting on you all since I’ll be...distracted,” said Ben, heart beating faster at just the thought of seeing Rey dressed like a cute, little rabbit. He embraced each of them. “You all outdid yourselves. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Until later.”

Ben sprinted away, deciding that the suit of armor really was the best outfit to wear. It would force Rey to touch him where he wanted her most, on his face and lips, and if they were mates, the difficulty in removing the clothing would ensure they didn’t consummate their bond in front of everyone. Ideally, he wanted their first time deep in the heart of her forest.  _ His  _ forest, he reminded himself after today. 

But then he had another thought...if they were mates, what did it make the forest?

_ Theirs _ .

The thought made his insides warm and cock stir. The suit of armor seemed like the best costume choice ever since it could hide his arousal from everyone.

The only snag in that decision was that the armor was tight on him, and especially so around his groin. He had slept as long as he thought safe before getting up to dress, and he was glad he had donned the outfit when he did. It took time to adjust parts to his size, and it was still very tight after that. Worse, the armor was thinner than he expected, and it dented easily. If he got too hard, the armor would show everything in  _ painful  _ detail. He could only hope that Rey took mercy on him.

She didn’t. 

He joined his team forty-five minutes early, clad in the armor. He had to leave; it was time for a show. Winning was on his mind, but not as much as Rey was. She consumed his thoughts, of how she would look, act, and respond. Despite coming early, Rey’s heady scent called to him like a siren from a mile away, alerting him that she was already there. That knowledge made him quicken his steps, eager to see her. 

As soon as he arrived, he ditched his leather gloves. On the surface, he did it so that he could help load pumpkins, but the true reason was so that there was no boundary on his part between his skin and hers. 

He had told Rey that werewolves didn’t request twice. It was true, and he didn’t plan to. However, he expected her to make her desire known...after the competition. Not as soon as he saw her, before anything happened. Because she  _ definitely _ was making her feelings known in her costume that she was dressed for him. He knew then and there, as soon as he laid eyes on her, that he wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on anyone but her. 

She was a vision in white, wearing long, white rabbit ears on her head, the bottoms of the fluffballs tinged with hot pink. She was wearing the most adorable, little cloth booties, the bottom having black lines to denote each toe and the tops edged with white fur. Her hands had matching white gloves for paws, trimmed with fur as well. For makeup, she had a pink nose and whiskers drawn on her cheeks, and when her tongue darted out to lick her lips, he moved faster. 

On her body, she wore next to nothing, and he became semi-hard in an instant. Clad a white corset that was edged with fur and the same hot pink for laces, her small breasts were pushed up to advantage, and his mouth went dry, yearning to rip apart the corset and suck on her breasts. 

He would bet that they tasted so sweet, almost as good as her pussy. Indeed, the closer he drew to her, the stronger her special musk became, and he drowned in it, thrilled that her scent was tinged with something else this time, something heavy and cloying that made his eyes darken and inner wolf want to growl out his claim on her. 

It was her short shorts, though, that made him begin to feel the armor around his erection. They were skintight, save for the white floofs that ran along the bottom and top edges of the shorts. The thin scrap of fabric molded to her center, and the closer he drew, the easier it became to see that there was a distinct change in color between the upper half and the part between her legs. It seemed a shade...grayer, as though it was wet as it clung to her.

At that realization, he was fully hard, and he hadn’t even spoken to her. When he stood in front her, he was panting, and she was breathing heavily as well as her lust-filled, hazel eyes pulled him under her spell completely. His eyes swept over her once more, drinking her in and how perfect she looked.

“Rey.”

Her legs pressed together, and her scent grew stronger, tinged with more of that heavy, floral scent that reminded him of spring flowers in meadows, ripe and full of pollen, of birds and bees that bathed in and drank the nectar. He wanted to bury his face between her legs and taste her need for him, and then find the best scent of all, the true scent. The one that was her essence, all her. 

He wanted to claim her inner animal. To make his home within her heart. To know every inch of her until he knew her better than his own body. 

If only she would touch him.

As if she read his mind, her gloved hand rose from her side and reached for one of his. When she paused, she blinked her eyes, and he realized that she had done it without thinking. 

She wanted him. 

Seconds later, his fingertips brushed against hers, and his breath caught. The heat he felt turned into molten need for her, and her quick intake of breath had him feeling his armor below even more. 

“Ben, I--”

“I’ve missed you,” he said, squeezing her hand, careful not to touch her skin. “Here I am." He gestured at his costume. "Ready to charge in and take no prisoners. I hope this costume is acceptable.”

“It is,” she replied with a mischievous grin, eyes traveling down until he saw that she was staring at his very obvious erection. “ _ Very _ acceptable.” 

“Look out, noble knight! You’re about to be beaten by the Killer Rabbit of Jakku!” cried Poe as he appeared, ruining the moment. Their hands flew apart, as though stung, and the wizard waggled his eyebrows. “You two going to skip out on the competition this year to finally deal with all that sexual tension?”

Poe was dressed as Ziggy Stardust, wearing a striped, rainbow suit and that opened over his chest, along with giant, red, platform boots. Finn simply wore a tophat as a nod to a costume. Rose was dressed like her namesake, wearing a green, latex suit with rose petals all around her face. 

“We wouldn’t mind if you did!” teased Rose, waving to Ben before meandering closer.

It was only then that Ben realized that he hadn’t yet even noticed the other team’s trebuchet. He dragged his gaze away from Rey to greet Rose briefly before noting that their creation was hidden inside what looked like a giant, wooden rabbit, a Trojan rabbit as it were. The main body was shaped like a house, with its head and ears at the front, and wheels at the bottom. 

“This won’t take long,” said Ben dismissively, shifting into his competitive mood. “I want to see your faces when we crush you.” He crowded Rey, nostrils flaring at how she smelled even better up close. “Especially yours, Rey.” He leaned in closer, barely not touching her so as to murmur, “I’m feeling very generous right now. If I win, you can still guard it and live on it.”

Her breath hitched as her eyes studied him carefully. When she was satisfied, she asked quietly, “Why? What’s the catch?”

Because he wanted her to live with him, on his land.

“Because you’ll be that much closer to me,” he whispered. As dry as his mouth was, it was hard to speak further. When her pleading eyes begged him to go on, he blurted, “Because I’m about ready to throw my lot in with you, soulmate or not.”

Her whole body shook, and her arms wrapped around herself to rub her arms, as though cold. Her voice was small, like a child’s, full of wonder. “Really?”

There was such hope in her gaze that he almost pressed his face to hers. “Yes,” he breathed, his words making the little hairs around her ear dance. His voice became an almost purr, as low and smooth as it was. “Would you like it if your wolf ravished you in our forest?”

She whimpered before crossing her legs, her scent blanketing him in her, until all he could see, smell, hear, and almost touch was her. His body was burning; it was starting to shout. Desire was coming; it broke out loud and made itself known through the blue balls he was starting to develop. 

In that moment, he was really regretting his choice in costume, with his lust in a steel cage till the storm broke loose. 

It wasn't just him, either. His inner wolf was just as vocal in demanding his mate. The wolf was hungry, and he ran the show, licking his lips, ready to win her. 

He was on the hunt tonight for love at first touch.

Soon.

“Yes,” she whispered, facing him. “I’ll find you as soon as this is all over.” Her eyes said what she couldn’t aloud, that she was claiming her wolf. “I’m ending this dance between us, once and for all.”

“It’s about time,” groused Poe, making both jump apart at how close the interlocutor was. “You could cut that tension with a knife. Shall I demonstrate?”

“No magic tricks for you,” shot back Rey before she turned to Ben. At that moment, Artoo and Threepio sounded the gong, announcing that the competition was about to begin. “I’ll find you soon, and when I do, my team will be victorious.”

“We’ll see,” he said, taking a step back.

“If you ask nicely, I’d probably let all of your pack use the land,” she said, eyeing him. “I'm easily convinced.”

“Just bribe her with food,” said Rose, earning a glare from Rey. 

Ben chuckled. “I see. May the best trebuchet win.”

“See you soon, Ben.” Rey waved goodbye to him and turned around before he had a chance to respond back. Bending over, she showed him the final aspect of her costume, a little cottontail that was pinned to her shorts. However, his eyes soon wandered as she spread her legs, and he noticed how the fabric slid up, almost showing her ass to him. He hadn’t thought it was possible to become more turned on, but he was. When he noticed her taking note of his response as she peeked between her legs, she grinned. “Your little bunny rabbit likes to be fed.”

His hands drifted down to the penis-shape created by his armor and arousal. “I have the perfect carrot for you.” At that, he walked away, glad that there weren’t many teams that year. 

The competition proceeded as it did every year, starting with an introduction of everyone. As Ben settled in with his team, Artoo and Threepio bickered as always during their opening comments.

"Welcome, one and all, to the grand finale of this year's Punkin Chunkin competition!" cried Threepio, arms sweeping out.

"Now with one hundred percent more Halloween costumes!" added Artoo, waving at the costumes each wore. 

Threepio lost a bet, so he dressed as a white poodle, with realistic looking ears, fur, and even a red bow. Artoo was dressed as a fat tabby cat with striped, orange fur, and he was having too much fun.

"I hope we don't do this on Halloween again next year," groused Threepio, fluffing his curly fur. "How will anyone take us seriously?"

Artoo glared at his friend. "Threep, we host something that shoots pumpkins into the air for _fun._ _I_ don't even take us seriously."

Ben chuckled and had to agree with Threepio, at least until he spotted Rey in the corner of his eye. She was staring intently at him, and once she had his attention, she deliberately licked her lips. 

Ben had no idea how much time passed as he watched her little, pink tongue start in one corner of her mouth and slowly work her way around. He felt his pulse quicken as she made it halfway, and when she finished, she closed her eyes as her lips formed an "o". The way she bent her knees and jerked her hips forward had him wanting to double over or throw off his armor so he could see to his needs. 

Thanks to Rey's very distracting movements, Ben didn’t have a chance to get mad that his team was referred to as Team Jacob yet again. He just kept making bedroom eyes at her until suddenly the arguing stopped. 

After opening comments, Clyde and Heathyr were brought forward as judges, given the honor to ring the gong that told each team to release their pumpkins. One by one, game officials gave each team a pumpkin to use, and once all were loaded, Artoo and Threepio took turns calling out which team to chuck their pumpkins into the sky.

After that, Heathyr rang the gong, and Clyde followed behind the flying pumpkin to measure each distance before relaying it to Artoo and Threepio. 

"That little pumpkin really flew! How far do you think that was?" asked Artoo after whistling.

"Well, based on the landmarks that it passed, it went a minimum of--"

"Oh, you take all the fun out of guessing like that," harrumphed Artoo, making a shooing motion before holding up the piece of paper with the number given by Clyde. 

The other three teams went first. Ben was relieved to have teammates, as he never learned the name of a single team, nor how far their pumpkins went. 

He had more important things to do, like watch Rey widen her stance and then pretend to groom herself, licking her forearms. A couple words were said, and she'd rub her nose or mouth along her skin. A few more, and she switched arms, never breaking eye contact with him. When she finished doing that, she made cute faces at him, and he took turns returning them with one of his own. 

In that way, the first three teams flew by, and suddenly, the werewolves were called. Her eyes grew wide in excitement as he turned partly to face his team, who were all giving him exasperated looks. 

"I still don't understand why you're here," grumbled Phasma as all got into place, waiting for the gong. "It's not like you're doing anything."

"I'm counting! That's something. I do that every year," he reminded them through grit teeth. 

He did...until he was distracted by Rey. 

"Mitaka, consult the Book of Armaments one more time please," requested Hux as he and Phasma put everything in place to let loose their pumpkin. 

Every year, Mitaka meticulously noted the construction and working of each machine in a book, the Book of Armaments. This year was no exception. He nodded and opened the book before clearing his voice. "Armaments, chapter two, verses nine to twenty-one: raise the cross beam until it locks into place, so as to blow the pumpkin to tiny bits."

"We already did that," reminded Phasma as she checked the counterweights one more time. "Skip a bit."

Mitaka raised his index finger. "First, you shall remove the pin. Then you shall count to three, no more no less. Once three, being the third number, is reached, then lob the pumpkin toward the battlefield!"

"Much more efficient this year for release, right?" asked Hux, looking pleased with his design. "I much prefer this. Phas, you can do the honors."

Heathyr banged the gong, and Ben nodded. "Remove the pin." As soon as he saw Phasma do it, he began counting. "One. Two."

That was when Ben made his fatal mistake. He glanced at Rey, who blew him a kiss. He blushed like a schoolboy with a crush and then remembered he was supposed to be counting. "Five!"

"Three, sir," said Mitaka with an unamused face as Hux and Phasma facepalmed. 

"Three!"

With that, the pumpkin arced and flew across the field. The end result was the farthest yet of all the teams at four thousand feet, and better yet, it was a personal best for their team, as Hux had memorized all their past numbers. 

Feeling confident his team would win again, Ben turned his attention back to Rey. She looked so proud of him, and it felt like they were mates already. She gave him two thumbs up before her team demanded her help. 

"Finally, we have the Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, who are all dressed as less scary things now," said Artoo before pointing below. 

The gong was hit, and Poe waved his wand, allowing the rabbit-shaped cover to float in the air. Ben watched it with little expectation until it started to grow closer and closer to him. At that, the giant cover fell down, landing not far from him. 

As he glared at the Bowie impersonator, Poe looked smug and turned to face their machine. Placing his wand at his throat to amplify his voice, Poe declared, "We call ours The PunkinEater!"

Their creation was smaller than his team's, but even he had to admit that it looked like it could rival his because of how long the arm was. 

Finn moved several parts as Rey and Rose did final checks. With the pull of a lever, the pumpkin soared through the air, and it was impossible to tell whose went further. 

Everyone on Rey's team held hands, and Ben almost wanted to do the same. However, he still believed that his team would triumph. 

"The numbers are in," said Artoo, making the whole crowd go quiet. "We have a winner. But before I do, let's take a moment to acknowledge the naughty trick our final team played on our past winning team."

"Yes!" cried Threepio, who had been scandalized by it. "Oh, wicked, bad, naughty team, trying to distract us with rabbits." 

"But enough of that. Let's give a hand to all our teams again." Artoo turned to face his friend. "This competition went much smoother than I expected. Wouldn't you agree?"

Threepio nodded. "Oh yes, I quite agree. I was so afraid this year's competition would be cut. We were so worried when we were writing the rules, but now we're glad."

Artoo leaned back in his chair and placed his arms behind his head. "At least now we can include a wider variety of beings as we bicker and tell our string of pushy jokes."

"Get on with it!" cried Phasma, growing tired and too used to getting them back on track.

"Yes, get on with it!" yelled Poe the wizard.

"Get on with it!" cried all the competitors, wanting to know. 

"Oh, I am enjoying this suspense," said Artoo with a wicked grin.

"Get on wit' it!" screamed Clyde, making the hosts sigh and set their shoulders. 

Artoo paused one more time for dramatic effect. When all continued to stare, he sighed. "The results are in! The PunkinEater managed to send its pumpkin four hundred and twelve feet...which makes them the winner!"

Ben stared dumbly as he watched Rey and her team hug in celebration. For her sake, he was happy for her, and very proud. She had done well for her first one, despite her team never getting a good look at their other designs. It was a testament to their skills and ingenuity. 

He couldn't even be mad at Rey for keeping the land. He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want hard feelings between them. At least now, it was fairly won. 

He faced his team. "All of you did outstanding this year, even if we didn't win. Take a few days off anyway. You deserve it."

One of the officials, Dio, came forward with their smashed ammunition. "Would you like to take home your pumpkin?"

"No!" cried Hux, not wanting any reminder of their loss. "That's not a pumpkin. That is a dead pumpkin."

Phasma couldn't help herself. "It's resting."

"It's stone dead," maintained Hux, walking up to it. "You can't even tell it's a pumpkin anymore." He picked up the pieces and threw them to the ground. "Now that's what I call a dead pumpkin."

"Nah, it's stunned," said Ben, smiling as he got into it. 

"Stunned?" asked Hux incredulously.

"Yeah, you stunned it by throwing it to the ground again. Really, you ought to have more respect for the thing," deadpanned Ben as Mitaka and Phasma chuckled. 

"Now look here," said Hux, pointing at the bits of pulp and smithereens that were left. "That pumpkin is deceased. It couldn't be chucked if you put four thousand volts through it. It's bleeding demised."

"It's pining," said Mitaka, taking a stab at it.

Hux glared at him. "It's not pining; it's passed on. This pumpkin is no more. It has ceased to be." He kicked the leftovers. "It rests in pieces. This...is an ex-pumpkin."

"Fine. You win this time," said Ben, making Hux smile. "Now wheel your Starkiller out of here and enjoy some time with Rose."

"We're not going to see you for at least a week, I bet," said Phasma, smirking. 

"At least," agreed Ben, already looking forward to much debauchery with Rey. The other two started grinning as well, and that was when he noticed Rey's scent had grown impossibly stronger. "She's right behind me, isn't she?" asked Ben as all snickered. 

"Yes," replied Rey. Ben waved farewell to his friends before facing the fae. "Well done, Ben."

"Thank you. It's our best yet, so I'm satisfied. Congratulations to you and your team...you did really well," he said, stepping closer. "You won fair and square."

She moved until she was in his personal space, pupils dilated. "Yes. But I'm still amenable to working out an arrangement of sorts with the land."

"Later," he requested, licking his lips. "We ought to celebrate your victory first. I'm ready to rock you like a hurricane."

The hunger in her eyes increased. "I couldn't agree more." 

She took several steps back, and he was confused until she got a running start and tackled him to the ground. Scrambling onto his chest and straddling him, she pinned him with her knees, and something warm bubbled within him as she removed her gloves. 

"Rey, I--"

"Shh. We don't need words for this, what we feel between us," she murmured as she brought her hand just short of the right side of his face. "I need to know."

His heart stopped. He could only nod and raise a hand to her right arm, needing the knowledge as much as she did. "Together?"

"Yes. I want you, Ben Solo. All for myself," she whispered, making him shiver. 

"One, two--"

"Five."

She grinned, and they moved at the same time. Where their fingers touched skin, red light sparked, and a sense of rightness and peace filled Ben, knowing he was no longer alone. 

He had his mate at last.

As the soulmate bond cemented, the initial spark faded, and in its place was left desire, raw and untamed. The pads of her fingers were hardened from work, but he wouldn't have it any other way, knowing his soulmate was willing to work just as hard as him. 

She was so warm and bright, her whole face more radiant than the sun. Joy sprang up within her until she laughed, and the sound was beautiful to his ears, how she seemed meant to make that sound, and he wanted to make her laugh for the rest of his life. 

Both smiled and enjoyed the moment until she leaned in. At that, both began to breathe shallower, and Rey traced his plush lips. 

He could die like this, under her and receiving her gentle, loving touch. There was nothing hesitant about her, only open curiosity -- and desire if her taut nipples and heated gaze were any indication. 

"You smell so good and sweet, better than any chocolate. Happy Halloween to me," he said, voice low and gravelly. "I think I love this holiday now."

"Perfect," she purred, tracing his cheekbones before brushing the red line of a soulmate mark she had left on his face. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now?" she asked, letting their noses touch. "I'm afraid if we start, though, we won't stop."

He grinned wolfishly. "We will." 

His hands cradled her face, admiring how soft her freckled skin was, and he had the urge to kiss every single freckle on her face, before ripping her clothes off and finding the rest. 

Surging up, he closed the distance between them, taking what was his with a growl. Their first kiss sent shockwaves through him, and he needed all of her  _ now. _

As her hands tangled in his longer hair, he deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and seeking entrance to hers. She spread her lips and legs with a muffled moan, rubbing against his armor as their tongues tasted and danced, needing to know and feel everything at once. His hand cupped her ass and played with her tail as the other slipped inside her corset, seeking the heated, sensitive skin hidden behind the thin corset. 

"Ben," she rasped as two fingers rolled her nipple. "Please. Mate with me."

He had never been so relieved. "We'll leave right now."

"Well thank the Maker for that," grumbled Threepio, making Rey fall off of Ben as they realized how close the host was to them. His eyes and face grew red. "This is a lovely children's competition, not a peep show, damn it!"

Artoo placed a hand on his friend to calm him down. "Honestly, we're beyond thrilled and happy that you're finding your soulmate through our little competition, but do you have to be so loud and obvious about it?" asked Artoo, giving them a chiding look. 

"Neither of them really does subtle well," said Finn, making everyone laugh. 

Ben straightened Rey's clothes, but not before sneaking in a quick swipe of his fingers along her clothed seam. She had soaked through her clothes, and he groaned once more before picking her up in a bridal carry. 

"That is accurate," he agreed, hugging Rey to his chest as she looped her arms around his neck. "Now if you'll excuse us…"

"Yes, please," said Threepio, sighing in relief.

"Yes," said Poe, waving them away. "Get on with it!"

With a snap of his fingers, the new soulmates disappeared in a puff of smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next comes the smut!


	4. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rough doggy sex in the forest. That's really all this is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After being distracted by other projects, I'm back! The final chapter has been started as well, so hopefully you're not waiting too long on that one. In the meantime, enjoy some smut with the occasional Monty Python bit. Also, the tags have been updated, so mind those.
> 
> Huge, huge thanks to  
> [WinglessOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinglessOne/pseuds/WinglessOne) for the moodboard!!

  
  


Ben and Rey had to give it to Poe: he managed to place them in the perfect spot to be alone.

Both were up far past their bedtime in the middle of the day, but neither noticed, as keyed up as they were. They were in the thickest part of the woods, in the heart of Rey’s land. By all rights, and because she won the competition, it would always be hers. 

However, Rey saw it differently now. She saw the overly large bush that she always hid her blanket in, but she had no need for the warm, fraying wool now. She had someone much better and warmer. 

She saw a circle of thin tree trunks, the earthy bark of the young oaks having a dim glow under the dense growth of the yellowing leaves that cast an almost golden hue where the sunlight penetrated through to the ground. Long, leafy vines twisted around the trunks, beckoning the couple closer, into the inviting bed they surrounded. Each trunk making up the pillars of the headboard and footboard together contained a bed of soft, green moss that coated the bottoms of every trunk and spread across the ground, and it was Rey’s home.

She was rarely awake at this time, so she never got to see how the ground was bathed in the orange-gold light like it currently was, and she loved her secret bower even more.

Rey had always been alone, with the occasional one of her kind for company. The forest had become her family and home, its host of trees and wildlife something she adopted and cared for. The land was a part of her, and she had vowed to protect it for the rest of her life. She had never imagined that the day would come when she would want to share it with someone else. 

However, as she remained in Ben’s arms as he stood not far from the area she treasured most, she was overcome by the desire to show it to Ben. To share it with him so that he understood just how precious and beautiful it was, so that he would protect it. She imagined that as the next pack alpha, he could demand none of his pack harm the forest, and that he would dedicate himself to protecting it the same way he led his team and devoted himself to creating a trebuchet. When she glanced up at him, though, she discovered that there would be no need to convince him.

He was already in awe. His dilated pupils and earlier desire for her were momentarily forgotten, and she remembered how much he had wanted this land for himself. Wanted it back. She had only seen him here when he was a wolf, but now that she could see his reverence for it already, she knew with certainty that she had the perfect mate. This man understood her and her love for this forest. He would provide and take care of it just as much as he would her, and it made her all the more eager to show him its many secrets and wonders.

The air was damp and cool, as befitting fall. When a light breeze danced across her bare arms, she shivered, causing her to press the pad of her index finger under his chin. His eyes fell to her at once, and she revelled in the tenderness he held for both her and her home. 

“Ben, do you like our home?” she asked, leaning up to be at his eye level.

His mouth fell open, and he tried to form words, but to no avail. He simply stared for a few moments, overcome. Finally, he got out, “Our home?”

She nodded with the biggest smile she had. He was gobsmacked and now happy, and she wanted to make him even more so. The only thing she wanted more was to kiss him and make love to him. “Yes. We’re mates now. What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. Your pack and family become mine, and you become the co-protector of these woods. I can’t imagine a better man to do it.”

He whimpered before stealing a quick, chaste kiss. “I will protect you and this land with my life.”

“I know,” she replied breathlessly, resting her cheek against his. “I don’t doubt it.” An idea snaked into her mind, and she lifted her head a little more to kiss the shell of his ear. “Right now, I want you to become better acquainted with both of us.”

He turned his head, his eyes darkening with arousal. “In what way?”

"We need to have a go of it, right here," she said, rocking her hips against his front once, then twice.  _ Nudge, nudge. _ "Know what I mean?"

He grinned mischievously.  _ Wink, wink. _ "I don't think I follow you."

Her hands slid down his armor. "I think you do. Follow me," she cooed, finding one of his nipples and squeezing. 

His answering groan reverberated in her soul before he removed her hands forcibly, all playing over. "What do you want?"

Her eyes sparked with interest. "I want your extra time and your kiss. Every touch and kiss." Her hands captured his cheeks. “I want to know you in the most intimate way possible, right here in our special little part of the forest, the part that is most dear to me.” 

She kissed him deeply, telling him without words how she yearned to join her body to his and never be parted. Her lips pressed, and her tongue plundered his mouth, finding more of his spicy scent, like cloves and nutmeg, something uniquely fall mixed with the salty, masculine essence that drew her to him like a moth to a flame. She wanted him to invade her senses and fill her until she knew nothing but him. 

"Is that all you want?" he asked when they broke for breath, his armor squeaking and groaning as he adjusted his hold on her. 

She didn't let him say more, enjoying his possessive grasp of her hips and needing more of him. “I want you to claim me,” she rasped between kisses, moving his hand from her side to her stomach. “I want to be your mate in every possible way.”

He growled possessively, his arms encircling her tighter. “You want to have my pups?” 

“Yes. Lots of them if we can,” she said, thinking of the fae and their trouble conceiving. “We can let them run free here, learn to love the forest as we do, and they’ll grow up loved and among the pack.” She looked up at him through her lashes, nudging his chin. “Our family.”

“You really want a family, don’t you?” he asked seriously, putting her down on her feet. 

“Very much,” she answered breathlessly, backing them toward their bed. “Lie with me.”

A guttural sound echoed low in his chest. “I’ll do more than that. I’m going to put a baby inside you, and you’re going to beg me for more.” 

Rey’s body thrummed with anticipation, her core clenching with need at the images his words created. She desperately hoped that he would be rough with her, and she tried to spur him on. "Much more."

As a stray hand failed to do more than press against his armor near his groin, he narrowed his eyes and swatted her away. “I’m going to tame that body of yours into submission when I claim it.”

She grinned and turned around, swaying her hips jauntily, waving her fluffy cottontail in his face to make him chase her. Stopping at the edge of the moss, she tilted her head prettily and met his hungry gaze. “You talk a big game, wolfie. Let’s see if you can deliver. Your prey is getting away; you better catch her.”

To her immense shock, he was quick and surprisingly nimble about removing the suit of armor that contained him. All of it clanged and clashed to the soft ground before he stood in front of her in all his naked glory. Sweat dripped down his forehead, glistened on his rapidly rising and falling chest, and created a sheen on his broad, hairy arms and thighs. Rey was riveted to his lower half, how the happy trail of his dark hair led to his cock. It stood proudly for her, straining in its redness to reach her. Her mouth went dry, and she grew wetter at the sight of his muscular thighs and legs crouching in preparation for attack.

“Your scent has been calling to me for too long,” he murmured, fingers spreading out at his sides.

In one moment, he was far away. In the next, he was mere inches away, his ground-shaking stomps sending her desire into overdrive as her mate came for her. She didn’t even have time to move, as mesmerized by him as she was. 

His giant paws for hands found her sides, swallowing her small, slight body completely, and she was sure two spans of his hands could cover her whole midsection. She felt so tiny in his arms, and it had never felt more perfect. As his grip became tight enough to bruise, she moaned.

Eyes closing, she leaned against him, loving how his girthy cock rubbed against her back. “Yes, Ben. Hold me like that always. I’m unbreakable.”

“You have to be in order to be my mate. I’m going to break you, tear you apart,” he rasped in her ear from behind. He extended one of his claws and cut two ties of her corset, revealing the tops of her breasts. He circled her heart with his claw, leaving a fine, red line in his wake, and she shuddered. “I’m an animal, and you are what I most desire.”

“I want that animal,” she breathed, leaning into his touch as her eyes closed. “Unleash it for me.” 

She was about to say more when his hands roamed across her front, proving her assumption right. His hands easily spanned her, and he rested there a moment before grasping the edges of her short shorts and tearing them in half with a strong tug.

“I hope this outfit is cheap; I’m about to destroy it,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re wearing too much.”

“I don’t care--ah!”

He stole her breath as a long, thick finger speared her, easily penetrating her sodden folds. The extended claw remained outside, stroking her tender flesh and making her drip onto it. “Soaked for me,” he breathed in her ear. She could hear the wet sounds she made as he entered her fully then began pumping furiously. “I’m going to make you as wild and needy for me as I am for you.”

“I don’t...need any...more--yes!” she cried, interrupting her pants when he added a second finger. She bucked her hips eagerly, trying to take him deeper. “More, Ben.” Her fingers alone could never achieve this. She craved him and his heated touch, all of her skin crying out for him. “Don’t stop. Fill me so good.”

“I bet you’ve never felt anything like this before,” he said, and she could hear his smugness.

As much as she wanted to deny it, she was enjoying it too much to even consider testing him. “No. I need it. I need you.”

Her whole body rocked backward as his fingers plunged into her forcefully. Each quick insertion drew a strangled moan from her, and she whined every time he pulled out. Her heart pounded in her ears, and tension coiled within her belly, each thrust winding her a little tighter, pushing her closer to the brink. Their desire for one another made the air humid, and she clung to him. 

His other hand slowly crept up her corset until he found the top edge, pushing it down to reveal her breasts fully. Her eyes shot open at the feel of the cool air on her exposed nipples, and she watched with slack-jawed wonder as he cupped her soft mound. As his tempo inside her increased, he began to play with her breast, tweaking her taut nipple until they were rosy and aching with need. Each of his caresses sent electricity arcing through her entire body, every spark converging on her throbbing core as it gasped and greedily took as much as he would give her. Sweat made her hair cling to her face, and she was reduced to shallow pants, living for every moment as she waited to see what he would do next. 

She felt smaller and even more aroused as his whole body surrounded her, his legs edging around hers to hold her in place. His head dipped to lay open-mouthed kisses and nips along her neck and shoulder, and she began to quake as he hovered at her pulse, worrying the skin before biting hard enough to leave a mark. As her moan echoed in the forest for miles, she exposed her neck to him even more, seeking more signs of his possession on her body. After he laved at the spot, he left more love bites along the long slope of her neck, and she gloried in the way his fingers pinched her nipples, each pluck of her body sending her higher. If her nipples could've exploded with delight, they would've at the way he handled her.

“Ben, I’m ready,” she ground out, keening when a third finger entered her. 

The stretch was glorious, and as her chest expanded with air, his whole body froze. Seconds later, he was lowering himself slightly, so his cock could rub against her ass.

“Almost ready. You’d let me claim you here, too, wouldn’t you?” he asked between kisses and bites.

“Yes. Take it all,” she groaned, grinding against him.

“I am. Every last inch of you,” he vowed, working her faster and going to her shoulder. “Another night, when I have the right materials. You’re still not begging me, though.”

She jerked her head to the side with an indignant look. “I think I’ve already done that.”

His hungry grin spread across his whole face. “Oh no. This isn’t begging.” 

She clenched around him in excitement, even as she wondered just how much more he intended to tease her. She didn’t think she was going to last much longer. 

“Ben,” she warned. 

“You don’t want it. You’re not even trying,” he said, nipping at her upper arm, a little above where her soulmate mark was. 

At that angle, his sturdy neck was laid out so prettily, and she didn’t ignore the urge to fight back. She dove in with relish, leaving her own mark on his neck proudly. “I’ll show you.” The primal part of her wanted to match him mark for mark. As he switched breasts, he used his claws to leave light scratches all around both, right before using two to pinch the second taut bud. Pulsing with need, she bit him repeatedly, each scratch and taste of him taking her a little closer.

“That’s a start,” he said, sounding almost bored as he sped up his three fingers inside her, pushing her to the brink of her orgasm, right before pulling her head back by one of her buns. 

“Ben!” Her whole face became warm, and she wrapped her arms around his midsection, dragging him closer. She tried to stick out her breasts more, hoping he noticed. “Please.”

He flashed her another smile. “Not good enough. Keep trying, sweetheart. I can do this all night.”

His erection ground into her, pushing between her cheeks. She parted her legs, urging him forward as she bucked her hips backward. When she could feel his hot length slide against her dripping seam, both moaned, and she clamped around him, holding him there insistently.

“I need you, Ben. Just a little higher,” she whined, biting him on his shoulder. 

His hand gripped her side hard enough to bruise. “Do you want to come?” he asked, rocking his hips urgently for more friction.

Rey was amazed at how fast that part of him was when his fingers were slower than a turtle, the little flicks and nudges inside her not allowing her to find her release. Reaching below, she palmed his shaft, pumping him to give him every ounce of friction he desired. “Yes. I’m so close. Please, Ben, just a little more--”

He seared his lips to hers, injecting liquid desire into her veins. It pounded and spread like wildfire within her, each taste exquisite as she experienced his scent in its purest form. It was her personal drug, and she was instantly addicted, unwilling to let him stop the kiss, except to breathe. After breaking their lip lock momentarily, she crashed her lips into his and undulated her hips, moaning against his mouth when he  _ finally  _ moved faster inside her. 

She shuddered against him as he plied her with long, heavy strokes before scissoring his fingers, stretching her more than she ever had before. She didn’t even care that she wasn’t coming on his fingers yet. She was burning from the inside out, and it was such a lovely way to burn.

Wanting to give as good as she took, she ran both hands along his cock, lightly at first as she traced veins and found his more sensitive spots. Once she found them, she squeezed harder around him, her whole body now shaking with need. However, the pressure within her was building. The fullness she felt from his fingers was the best she had ever had, but she knew it could be better. She wanted more. Needed it. Clamored for it as he broke the kiss to take a nipple into his warm mouth. 

She exhaled heavily and tried to speak. Tried to give voice to the spiraling need that had possessed her, and all she could do was make strangled, breathy noises. When she concentrated on words, they were still gibberish. With each attempt and failure that resulted in only nonsense, he dragged his fingers through her, rubbing against her inner walls in such delicious ways that made her cry out with every movement. It was so hard to form a word when he was pounding relentlessly into her, giving her what she wanted, but not quite all of it. It was too hot, too much, and yet not anywhere near enough. She was dangling so very close to the edge, and she craved more of him, more of his touch, and most of all, more of his cock. 

“Ben, please,” she finally got out, becoming desperate. He thumbed her clit, and she was reduced to pleasured sounds once more. “Hnnggh--”

“What do you want, Rey?” he asked, pausing his movements, much to her consternation. He was grinning, and she was fed up with this teasing.

With his fingers no longer inside her, she seized the opportunity. “You.” With a grunt, she lowered herself at the same moment she guided his cock up. 

She almost succeeded. His cock head grazed her soaked lower lips, and he chose then to pull away. “Good. You’re ready now.” One finger entered her, and she cried out at how it wasn’t enough.

Riding his finger for all she was worth, she couldn’t stop babbling. “Ben! Ben! I want, I need, please, I’m ready, Ben--”

His whole body caved in around her, rubbing against her everywhere he could. “Let go. Come apart on my fingers,” he demanded, adding two more fingers before circling her clit.

With the extra stimulation, her pleasure imploded until she was a single point, all gathered around her mate’s fingers, until the pressure exploded outward. Then, she soared into the unknown, lost to all coherent thought as she cried his name so the whole forest could hear her. She had never known such a release, how it carried her and emptied her of everything until she was putty in his capable fingers, sagging into him.

“Ben,” she breathed against his neck, attempting to kiss it. “That was...mmm.”

“Good.” He kissed her gently, his dark hair tickling her cheeks. “You’re stunning when you come. I can’t wait until you do so on my cock.” The arm at her breast circled her waist, bringing her against him protectively.

“Mm, I want your cock,” she said, kissing him again as her heartbeat slowed. She attempted to grasp his forearms, but it was more loose, her body still coming down from the high as his fingers helped her through the aftershocks. “Fill me more,” she insisted between kisses.

“Soon, sweetheart,” he promised, sliding his fingers out and quickly pressing the hot, throbbing length of him against her seam. "Gonna put a baby inside you."

She sighed contentedly and opened her legs, wiggling until her folds parted around him, gliding along him. His answering growl had new desire sparking within her, attempting to clench around him.

“Rey, look at me.”

She turned her head and saw the intensity in his gaze, how he burned for her with naked desire in lust-darkened eyes. New wetness coated his cock when she watched him slowly suck his slick-covered fingers inside his mouth and moan, loud and long. He savored each bit of her essence, and she was amazed at just how fast her body began to come to life. Heat coiled within her, and she had new strength as she raked her nails down his arms, leaving trails of red in her wake. When she got past them, she ran across his sides, digging in harder when his eyes zeroed in on her with ever greater need, silently begging her, daring her to do more.

“Have I marked you enough as mine yet?” she asked with a small smile.

He pulled the fingers out of his mouth and went to the corset that sat just below her breasts. The other hand quickly followed, pressing claws to the pink strings. “No. Never enough,” he declared. “You have a large canvas to work with.”

“Good thing your cock has a lot less to worry about,” she replied, rocking her hips in an attempt to get him to slide inside her.

“True, but you still have one more barrier in the way.” 

His hold on her corset increased. Rey’s heart pounded as she realized what he was about to do, and she could feel her wetness gather on her thighs. With one feral swipe, he slashed all the strings. He quickly tossed the ruined clothing to the ground, along with her booties and bunny ears. He nosed her hair, and she melted against him, enjoying the soft moment and complete freedom she found in his arms.

At least until his hands found her clit and ass.

At that, her inner fire was lit once more, and she rolled her hips, trying to feel more of him. His answering sound of pleasure pushed her further along the way, and he found her neck, biting down on the other side so she had matching marks. “You’re mine, Rey. All mine.” 

“Yes. Yours,” she breathed, nestling against him. “You are my other half, the owner of heart, body, and soul.” As he murmured happily, he stroked her clit, new sparks flying within her as she added, “I don’t want anyone but you. Just you.” 

He stilled before saying, “You always will.”

She turned her head so he could see the emotions that tugged at her heart. “I can’t believe you’re all mine,” she said, cupping his face. She still couldn’t believe she had a soulmate, someone of her own. Looking into his eyes and seeing that desire mirrored for her, she couldn’t deny it anymore, and she felt indescribable joy, even as want pushed her to complete their bond. “I want you so much, it hurts.”

His nostrils flared. “Not as much as I want you.” He slapped her ass, and she jumped, the sensation different, if pleasurable. When her eyes darted down to his hand that hovered near her cheeks still, he grinned. “You liked that, did you, little one? Can’t get enough of my marking you?” When she nodded and gulped loudly, he grinned. “Good girl.” Something warm spread through her chest at his praise, and she was utterly unprepared for his next swat. His hand landed harder against her, and it stung. He sensed her surprise. “How was that?” he asked worriedly, moving until their noses almost touched. 

“That was...good. Really good. I like it when you’re rough,” she admitted, biting her lip. “Would you do it again?”

He gave her a soul-stealing kiss, his hand rubbing soothing circles against her red skin. “I’ll give it to you as hard as you want. Tell me if it’s too much, though,” he said against her lips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She saw his inner wolf fighting to be let loose and come play, and she yearned to set him free. She loved Ben’s softness, but she loved his commanding inner animal even more.

“I’m unbreakable, remember?” she reminded him, nibbling on his lower lip. “I want your hands pounding me into submission, right before your cock owns me.” 

She pulled away, pleased when she saw his dilated, almost black pupils, his hands shaking with barely contained lust. Her whole body tensed up, waiting for his response. Seconds felt like minutes as his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his burning gaze pinned her to where she stood. 

She had always been a lone wolf, living on her own. She lived by herself, by her rules. She didn’t like giving up control, but with her soulmate, she knew there was a chance that she finally could. She could let someone take care of her, take control, and give her what she had always yearned for: complete trust. She could forget about herself and simply get lost in him and their love. There was a certain freedom in letting go, and in doing so, the basest, most basic part of her could connect with Ben’s. He would utterly destroy her, but he would then piece her back together, interweaving his parts with hers until they were one whole, their souls truly combined.

She couldn’t wait to be joined to him. Her body was primed and ready, and she was ready to let go completely. All he had to do was say the word. Tell her what he wanted, and she would do anything, give anything to him. All because she trusted him. 

He didn’t disappoint. He spoke like the alpha of his pack, sure and in control. His whole body was stiff with tension and desire, and even as he removed his cock from her body, he brought himself up to his full height. 

“Get on all fours.”

Rey had never been so quick to obey. Her hands and knees hit the moss, and she found a comfortable spot before she looked up at him, seeking his approval and wanting whatever came next, whether it was spanking or him finally mating with her. 

“Stick that ass out. It belongs to me,” he said, prowling closer, until he stood above her. “You’ll be able to see my hand when I’m through with you.” Wetness gushed between her legs, and when she tried to bring her legs together for relief, he lightly swatted her thighs. “No more of that. I’m taking care of you now, sweetheart.” He bent over to place a hand over her heart. “You’re all mine.”

She leaned against his arm. “Thank you for being willing to do this.”

She was surprised when his body covered hers, his knees touching the soft moss as his hot breath ghosted against the shell of her ear. “No, Rey. Thank you. I didn’t think you’d want...all of this. This beast.”

She turned her head to meet his eyes. “It seems we’re perfect for one another, then. There’s nothing I want more than your wolf.”

He kissed her suddenly, lingering there even after their lips parted. “I love you.”

Her heartbeat sped up, and she kissed him back, the warmth in her chest from earlier taking flight as it was given a name. “I love you, too, Ben. My mate.”

“For life,” he promised before standing up. “This is only the beginning.”

"Make me feel you. I want it to hurt,” she said, wiggling her ass invitingly. 

Their eyes locked on one another, and she heaved in another breath, seeing him steel himself, as though still trying to rein himself in. 

“You will. Starting now.” He swung his arm back, and as she began to turn away, to experience the surprise of when he spanked her, he called out, "Eyes on me, Rey. I want to see  _ everything." _

She nodded enthusiastically, caught in his hungry gaze. As lost as she became in him, she was still surprised when his hand cracked against her with more force than his previous times. The initial sting of pain quickly melted into pleasure, and she felt more of her juices build between her thighs. 

He watched her carefully, gauging her reaction, and when he smiled, she heaved a sigh of relief, knowing he would continue. Seconds later, his hand landed across her ass, even harder than all the other times put together. 

That time, she was ready. She wanted it. Wanted the feel of his hand conforming to her skin and staining her with red. This was only a taste of how hard he could be, and she was jonesing for more. As a result, the next hit came sooner, making her whole body move forward with the power in it. Despite that, she held his gaze steadily, telling him without words just how much she needed this. How ready she was for more. 

There was total acceptance in her eyes, her desire for him easy to smell even to her nose as it blossomed and dripped down her legs. It was only encouraged by the way he stared at her, how he focused entirely on her, attuned to her and her alone. It was the intimacy she had always wanted. 

He hit her three more times, each one more powerful than the last. The lust that burned in his eyes only grew stronger with each time, emboldened by her unabashed love for it. With the first one, she grunted. For the second, she whined his name, desperate for more. By the third, her legs were trembling, body aching for relief. 

"Ben, please," she pleaded, lips quivering. "I need you. I'm so wet."

He dropped to his knees, still not breaking the intimacy of their shared gaze. "I know. I can smell you distinctly," he said, bringing a hand up to rub her oversensitive ass cheeks. "The air is thick with your arousal, and soon it'll be mixed with mine." When he finished soothing her skin, he used a finger to trace his handprint. "Just like this is a part of you for the time being."

Her core ached to be filled. "I want you elsewhere."

Two of his fingers slipped inside her with ease, and he groaned. "You've been such a good girl for me throughout this; I'm going to reward you." 

He brought his tip against her ass, making designs on it with his pre-cum before rubbing his tip against his finger, gathering some and bringing it to her lips. "Among werewolves, there is something called the true scent. The purest form of ourselves. I've tasted yours between your legs; taste mine."

She lapped at his finger, and a burst of flavors hit her tongue. Somehow, his spicy scent that drew her in irresistibly intermingled in this, and she would happily swallow that, given half the chance. Sucking his finger in completely, she felt herself grow wetter as his taste consumed her. "Ben…"

It was his turn for his body to shake. "You can suck my cock next time. I need to be inside you now," he said, sliding between her legs, nudging her opening. His voice became more hoarse. "Need you." 

She practically purred in response, bumping against him to feel the tip of his cock head enter her. "Take what's yours and claim it."

He hissed as she opened easily for him. "I intend to," he said, bracing himself on his arms as he adjusted himself so his body was always touching part of hers. He eased his head inside, pausing there to murmur in her ear, "You're so tight already." He sunk into her fully with one, swift thrust, making both of them grunt. "I’m going to fuck you like you are one of my kind. I'm going to feed you this cock until it chokes you. You've been begging for a huge cock, and you're going to love every second of it.”

"Stop talking and do it," she bit back, even if she appreciated him waiting a moment to let her adjust.

She thought his three fingers were a lot, but it was nothing compared to his engorged member as it split her in half, taking no prisoners. It was the fullest she had ever felt, and her pleasure was only heightened by the way he mumbled compliments in her ear about her beauty, in between more bites on her neck and shoulders. He used his claws to reach her hands and arms, slow scratches preparing her for the finale. He was everywhere at once, loving her in every way, and she basked in it. 

When he made no move with his hips, she did. She was tired of waiting, and as soon as she snapped her hips, the love bites drew blood. 

"You never cease to amaze me," he said, thrusting into her slowly at first, trying to find the right pace. 

"I see your fire, and I want to play with it. I want to burn forever with you," she grunted, encouraging him to go faster as she met his hips every time. 

The steady, wet sounds of skin slapping against flesh filled the air, and their pleasured sounds at each meeting joined in. Rey only grew louder as Ben worked his mouth to her back, taking a fistful of her hair until it all came loose. 

"You're not screaming yet, and I couldn't be happier," he said, kissing the nape of her neck. "Perfect for me."

That was his only warning before he picked up the tempo, drilling into her mercilessly. That was when she realized that this was only the beginning. 

That knowledge gave her the power she needed to let go of the last vestiges of her control and simply be. She no longer cared how she sounded or acted; she did what felt natural. She was responsive to his every action, needing so much more of him. Her breathy mewls egged him on, and she lived for the way he yanked on her hair to the point of it hurting, forcing her face to look up repeatedly. He bit down into her shoulder blade, and her answering gush had him unleash his first of many howls. 

"How are you real?" he asked with stuttered breaths. "All I want is to lose myself in you."

"That's all I want--yes!"

As she screamed at finding the perfect rhythm, he grabbed her hip, forcing her to move with him. "Perfect."

They rocked as one for several strokes, her cries growing louder as he sunk his claws into her flesh. She was being pulled in so many directions, and he didn't hold back, the throaty noises he made the only sign he was working at all. 

Without warning, the hand at her side went to her thigh, guiding it higher to rest on him before he slammed into her at a new angle. If the stretch was good before, it made her want to cry now. He loved it, too, based on the way he howled at entering a new part of her. He was ruthless, pistoning into her and taking all that she offered. He moved his hand to her hair, pulling her head back as far as she could reach. At that angle, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, using his teeth. She could feel her desire reach a fever pitch, each sharp edge of his teeth grinding against her as he pulled out, so she was never not feeling him. 

She kicked up countless amounts of moss the harder he went, and her nail beds filled with dirt and green as she dug in, trying to brace herself for each invasion of his cock. She could only speak in unintelligible starts and fits, eyes glazed and body overwhelmed with sensation, and he wasn't much better, alternating between grunts and howls. 

Everything was too much, especially his cock. The way it surged into her was like heaven, consuming all her empty space. When his cock expanded to fill her completely, she gasped.

"I've got a different kind of knot just for you," he rumbled against her breasts. "Gonna fill you so good."

His thrusts became punishing, and each one was amplified by his size. The longer he went at it, the more she craved it. Needed the way the pressure within her flew to even higher heights than she had with him earlier. 

"Ben, please," she gasped out when she couldn't take it anymore. "I need--"

He thumbed her clit, giving her the final push she needed. "Come for me, mate. Give it all to me."

She saw stars, crying his name as she found her release. Her arms shook, and she became unsteady quickly as her orgasm raged through her, completely draining her. He held her tight against him, claws biting into her as his thrusts became erratic.

"I'm going to fill you with my seed, and there will never be any doubt again about whose you are," he rasped in her ear. 

"All yours." She turned to kiss him.

As soon as she bit down lightly on his lip, he surged into her a final time, and he filled all of her, his cock locking into place all along her inner walls, his cum making him swell within her until she felt like bursting anew. As his cock tore her apart from within, all of his claws extended with his increase in girth, ravaging whatever skin he could reach.

He had to rush to pull away from the kiss, a final howl signaling his completion. As soon as he did that, he attacked her neck with more love bites, and she felt as though he were injecting himself and his heat into her with each scrape of his teeth, claws, and bursts of hot cum that coated her inner walls. As he emptied himself inside her, he finally collapsed, and he pulled her with him. 

He made sure not to crush her, and once both were settled comfortably, he lay there for a short time as she marveled at how he was still giving her more. Soon, he rolled to switch their positions so she lay on top of him, their bodies still joined as he dribbled more inside her. Rey hoped it continued for a long time. 

He looked utterly spent and sated, and she had never been more content. Drawing on the last of her strength, she peppered his chest and arms with kisses and love bites of her own. He looked on with pride until his heavy eyes closed, and she slowly petered out, eventually snoring and drooling all over his chest. 

She couldn't imagine a better way to begin her life with her soulmate. When she awoke, it was the dead of night, and her lower half ached everywhere from his rough handling of her. Even better, they were still connected. She wouldn't have it any other way. 

When she glanced up, she saw his worried, curious eyes, silently asking her if she was all right. Her smile was incandescent. 

"Good morning, Ben. My body may need a day to recover, but we are definitely doing that every night." When he tried to pull out, she stopped him, gripping his sides. "Don't. I love feeling you there."

He heaved a sigh of relief and encouraged her cheek to rest against his chest. "Me too. Rest, mate. I'll take you to your new home and clean you up like you deserve. It's a jacuzzi with jets and everything."

"Sounds heavenly and much warmer than the river," she replied, making him chuckle. 

"That it is. We can play in the river when it's warmer," he promised. 

"I'd like that. Could we bring the younglings from the pack with us at some point? I want to introduce them to all the good ways to use and take care of the forest," said Rey, wrapping herself around him a little tighter to stay warm. "As well as play with all the little ones. Do you think they'll like me?"

"If you smile and play with them, yes. If you give them a gift, they'll love you forever," he replied, ruffling her hair. "I can see already you're going to take care of everyone in your own way."

"That's what I'm supposed to do as the pack leader's wife, right?" she asked with a playful look in her eyes. As she gazed through her lashes up his chiseled chest into his tender eyes, she added, "I've never had a family. I don't have many examples, but I have ideas. I want to succeed and have a family with you."

"You will, and I've got good and bad examples. We'll work and learn together," he said, resting his personal heaters for arms across her bare back, making her shiver. "If you get too cold, tell me. We can leave."

"Not yet," she said, snuggling into his warmth. She wasn't ready to leave their little cocoon of love and bright possibilities. She wanted to bask with him a little longer. She grinned when she felt his cock stir, and she rubbed against him, enjoying his morning wood. "I just want to lay here with my mate."

So they did. For another hour, the darkness blanketed them, but eventually the cold seeped into her exposed skin, making her shiver more. 

He felt it, and when she refused to ask, wanting to cuddle more, he grasped her hips. "Do you want to come back to my place?" he asked, bouncing her twice. "You have a beautiful body; would you hold it against me under the covers of our bed instead? It's warmer. There's also the jacuzzi and food." Her eyes lit up, and she agreed. "I'm not sure how I'll get you there without any clothes, but we'll figure it out."

"I'm not opposed to you carrying me," she suggested, tracing the lines of his pecs. "I'll teach you about the art of how not to be seen. Will you please stand up?"

He looked at her to make sure she was ready to go, and she nodded. After separating their bodies, they made quick work of standing, and he carried her in a bridal carry toward the large mansion that housed all of his pack. 

"What do you want to do first?" he asked, walking carefully.

"While I do want a bath, I want to eat even more," she admitted, making him chuckle. 

"You'll have to eat more fresh fruit when we get back then," he teased. "You're going to need your strength if we're going to do this every night."

"I'll eat whatever you give me," she assured him, nuzzling against him. "Will we feed one another?"

The hand at her hip slid across her and grazed at her opening, and she was embarrassed just how wet she was already. He looked positively smug. "Of course...unless I should come across a banana," he warned her in a serious tone. "I'm afraid you'll have to learn to defend yourself against fresh fruit and other such phallic-shaped foods, for I have a taste for your pussy and true scent now."

"Easy enough," she responded, kissing him. "First I'll distract you and make you drop the banana. Then I'll eat it, thus disarming you." When he pouted, she whispered, "If you promise to let me use chocolate syrup on you, you can use all the bananas you want."

He grinned. "Done." His heated gaze took in all of her body with pride. "That perfect, golden skin of yours isn't anymore. You look like you've been thoroughly claimed."

"Good. So do you, and I couldn't be happier." She climbed him to kiss him again. "We make a perfect pair."

"I couldn't agree more," he rumbled between kisses, running his fingers through her tangled strands. "I love the feel of your hair. Promise you'll wear it down for me always?"

She grinned at him. "Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
